Auchan
Encyclopedia
Groupe Auchan SA is a French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

 international retail group and multinational corporation
Multinational corporation
A multi national corporation or enterprise , is a corporation or an enterprise that manages production or delivers services in more than one country. It can also be referred to as an international corporation...

 headquartered in Croix
Croix, Nord
Croix is a commune in the Nord department in northern France.It is located northeast of the city of Lille about from the centre.The headquarters of Auchan, a hypermarket chain, are located in Croix.-Heraldry:-External links:* *...

, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

. It is one of the world's principal distribution groups with a presence in 12 countries and 175,000 employees.

The company began when Gérard Mulliez opened his first self-service shop in Roubaix
Roubaix
Roubaix is a commune in the Nord department in northern France. It is located between the cities of Lille and Tourcoing.The Gare de Roubaix railway station offers connections to Lille, Tourcoing, Antwerp, Ostend and Paris.-Culture:...

 in the district of Hauts-Champs - pronounced the same as "Auchan".

Auchan has branches in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

, and internationally in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...

, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...

, Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...

, Luxembourg
Luxembourg
Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...

, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...

, Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...

, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...

, Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...

, the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...

 (欧尚 Ōu shàng), the Republic of China
Republic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...

 (Taiwan), Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...

 and Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...

.

, Auchan has 356 hypermarkets, 646 supermarkets and 2027 small shops around the world, as well as 116 hypermarkets in France. In several countries, including Poland and Ukraine, the chain has been confronted with protests linked to its labour policy.

Mulliez family

Auchan SA is controlled by the Mulliez family, one of the wealthiest in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

. The Mulliez family has interests in a large number of companies:
  • Decathlon
    Decathlon Group
    Decathlon is a major French sporting good chain store, with stores located throughout the world. It started with a shop near Lille, France in 1976. It expanded to Germany in 1986, Spain in 1992 and the United Kingdom in 1999. It entered the American market by purchasing the New England 20-store...

     (sports stores, not part of Auchan group )
  • Norauto
    Norauto
    Norauto is a company owned by the Mulliez family which focuses on car repairs, car accessories and car parts.Its first store was in France in 1970 near Lille ; during the 1980s the brand expanded its auto centers through France and abroad by entering the Spanish market.In 1986, it also launched its...

     (car repairs, not part of Auchan group)
  • ADEO Group (DIY shops)
  • Boulanger
    Boulanger
    Several notable persons share the very typical French/Francophone surname Boulanger which is the equivalent of the English surname Baker, of the Italian surname Panettiere, etc.:...

     (electronic devices shops)
  • Phildar (fabric stores)
  • Accord Bank (loans)
  • Kiabi (clothes shops, not part of Auchan group)
  • Cultura
    Cultura
    Cultura is the second studio album by Gibraltarian Flamenco Metal quintet Breed 77. It was released through J. Albert Productions on 3 May 2004. Three singles were released from this album, which were "La Última Hora", "The River" and "World's on Fire". The album features 10 original songs and...

     (cultural products, family not invested in it)
  • Pimkie (girls' clothes)

Slogan

The slogan of the company was La Vie, La Vraie, which translates into English as "Life, the real one". The slogan was changed in 2007 to: La vie Auchan, elle change la vie - "Auchan's lifestyle changes life (itself)".

Auchan around the world

 Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...

 
Note: Stores with a star (*) are under franchise.>
Country First store Hypermarkets Supermarkets Convenience Stores Gas Stations
  France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

 
1961 121 294 - -
  Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...

 
1981 49 128 29* -
  Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...

 
1989 47 275 - -
  Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...

 
1996 23 10 - 21
  Luxembourg
Luxembourg
Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...

 
1996 1 - - -
  Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...

 
1996 37 33 - -
1998 12 - - -
  People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...

 
1999 114 - - -
  Republic of China
Republic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...

 (Taiwan)
2001 24 - - -
  Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...

 
2002 44 51 - -
  Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...

 
2006 7 - - -
  Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...

 
2008 8 - -

Auchan Hypermarket in People's Republic of China

Auchan opened its first store in Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...

 at 1999, and according Auchan ( China ) investment Co. Ltd. official report in 2009, there are 114 stores opened nationwide in China. Suzhou
Suzhou
Suzhou , previously transliterated as Su-chou, Suchow, and Soochow, is a major city located in the southeast of Jiangsu Province in Eastern China, located adjacent to Shanghai Municipality. The city is situated on the lower reaches of the Yangtze River and on the shores of Taihu Lake and is a part...

 Jinji Lake store that located in Suzhou Industrial Park
Suzhou Industrial Park
The China-Singapore Suzhou Industrial Park is an industrial park built in Suzhou, China with significant Singaporean input. In the late 1990s, the heavy losses incurred by the park caused a minor scandal in Singapore.-Background:...

 had nine million population
Population
A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...

 during that fiscal year with over four hundred million turnover and became one of the biggest Auchan Hypermarket in the world. Suzhou store expanded in 2008 and is the biggest Auchan Hypermarket in People's Republic of China, second biggest in the world. Also, Auchan China led to open its online shopping website for store in Shanghai and Suzhou.http://www.auchan.com.cn/home.htmlhttp://www.auchan.com.cn/CityShop.aspx?cityid=62&shopid=104

Auchan in the United States

Auchan previously had a subsidiary, Auchan U.S.A. As of 2002 Auchan was the only French hypermarket chain to still have a U.S. presence.

Auchan's first U.S. store opened in western Houston in 1988. The 250000 square foot market was located on a 31.3 acres (12.7 ha) plot of land on Beltway 8, north of U.S. Route 59
U.S. Route 59
U.S. Route 59 is a north–south United States highway . A latecomer to the U.S. numbered route system, U.S. 59 is now a border-to-border route, Part of NAFTA Corridor Highway System. It parallels U.S. Route 75 for nearly its entire route, never much more than away, until it veers southwest...

. The store was one of the first hypermarkets to open in the U.S.

Auchan also opened a store in Greater Chicago in 1989. The store was a large hypermarket in the suburb of Bridgeview, Illinois
Bridgeview, Illinois
Bridgeview is a village in Cook County, Illinois in the United States. It is located approximately from the Chicago Loop. As of the 2010 census, the village population was 16,446...

. The store was not successful and was later bought by a local Chicago chain, Dominick's
Dominick's
Dominick's Finer Foods, Inc. is a grocery store chain and subsidiary of Safeway Inc. with locations mainly in the Chicago area, Illinois, USA. Dominick's distribution center is located in Northlake, while its management offices are located in Oak Brook....

 supermarkets, and converted into an Omni Superstore
Omni Superstore
Omni Superstore was a chain of supermarkets in the Chicago area and was owned by Dominick's. In the late 1990s Dominick's phased out Omni and converted the stores into Dominick's due to the purchase by Safeway...

 by 1991.

Auchan's second Greater Houston
Greater Houston
Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown is a 10-county metropolitan area defined by the Office of Management and Budget. It is located along the Gulf Coast region in the U.S. state of Texas...

 location opened in southeast Houston in September 2000. In January 2003 Auchan announced that both of its U.S. stores were making losses and were going to be closed; Auchan stated that it was instead going to concentrate its expansion in Asia and Europe. Auchan U.S.A. sold its first Houston location to Ho Enterprises. Lewis Food Town
Lewis Food Town
Lewis Food Town, Inc., doing business as Food Town Grocery Stores, is a chain of grocery stores located in Greater Houston, founded in 1994. The headquarters are in South Houston. Ross Lewis founded it as he came out of retirement...

 occupied about 110000 square foot of the space, with the rest of the space taken by other tenants. The second remains unoccupied, but was used as a shelter for Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...

 victims in 2005 and Hurricane Ike
Hurricane Ike
Hurricane Ike was the second-costliest hurricane ever to make landfall in the United States, the costliest hurricane ever to impact Cuba and the second most active hurricane to reach the Canadian mainland in the Great Lakes Region after Hurricane Hazel in 1954...

 victims in 2008 due to its large space.

Auchan's own-label product brands

  • Le Moins Cher (Translated: The least expensive) - Economy range similar to Asda
    Asda
    Asda Stores Ltd is a British supermarket chain which retails food, clothing, general merchandise, toys and financial services. It also has a mobile telephone network, , Asda Mobile...

     Smartprice, Tesco
    Tesco
    Tesco plc is a global grocery and general merchandise retailer headquartered in Cheshunt, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest retailer in the world measured by revenues and the second-largest measured by profits...

     Value or Sainsbury's Basics in the UK. In Portugal it's called "Polegar" (Translated: Thumb (Up)).
  • Les Produits Auchan (Translated: Auchan Products) - Own brand of products
  • Rik et Rok- Products designed for children (this is also a "club" for children)
  • Les Produits Régionaux (Translated: The regional products)- Regional products such as Breton biscuits
  • Mmm! Le nouveau plaisir gourmand d'Auchan (Translated: Mmm! The new gourmet pleasure from Auchan) - Gourmet Auchan products.
  • Mieux Vivre Bio/Sans Gluten (Translated: Live Better Bio/Without Gluten) - Auchan products that are either bio or without gluten.
  • Baby - Auchan products designed for babies.

Auchan divisions

  • France : Auchan, Atac
    Atac
    Atac is a brand of predominantly food stores operating supermarket, created by the 'Docks de France' in 1985 and is a subsidiary of the Group Auchan, since 1998....

    , Simply Market
    Simply Market
    Simply Market is a brand of French supermarkets formed in 2005. This brand is a new concept to eventually replace Atac supermarkets. The brand belongs to the AuchanSuper subsidiary that manages the branches of Auchan supermarkets...

    , Auchan Direct, Voyages Auchan, Banque Accord, Alinéa
    Alinea
    Alinea may refer to:• Alinea, a restaurant in Chicago by chef Grant Achatz • Alinea, from the Latin a linea, referring to the pilcrow which indicates a new paragraph...

    .
  • People's Republic of China : Auchan, RT Mart, Immochan, Accord Consulting.
  • Spain : Alcampo, Sabeco, Simply Market, Immochan, accordfin.
  • Hungary : Auchan, Immochan, Accord Magyarország.
  • Italy : Auchan, smasupermercati, Cityper, Simply Market, Accord Italia.
  • Luxembourg : Auchan, Immochan.
  • Romania: Auchan, Immochan, Accord Intermed Consumer Finance.
  • Poland : Auchan, Alma, A-Tak, Immochan, Accord Finance, Simply Market.
  • Portugal : Jumbo, Pão de Açúcar, Oney, Jumbo Natureza, Immochan.
  • Russia : Ашан, Atak, Immochan, BA Finans.
  • Republic of China (Taiwan): RT Mart, Immochan.
  • Ukraine: Ашан, Immochan, Oney.
  • On the Internet : AuchanDirect.Fr, VoyagesAuchan

Auchan's other withdrawn ventures

Auchan opened a number of stores in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...

; the first of these opened in Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...

 in 1997 and eventually grew to five stores. Faced with stiff competition from Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. , branded as Walmart since 2008 and Wal-Mart before then, is an American public multinational corporation that runs chains of large discount department stores and warehouse stores. The company is the world's 18th largest public corporation, according to the Forbes Global 2000...

, as well as local superstore chains Gigante
Gigante
Gigante or Gigantes may refer to:In people:*Evelyn Gigantes , Canadian politician and journalist*Giacinto Gigante , Italian painter*Louis Gigante, retired Catholic priest and a brother of mobsters Mario and Vincent...

 and Comercial Mexicana
Comercial Mexicana
Comercial Mexicana is a Mexican hypermarket group, which features stores similar to those owned by Carrefour in France or Wal-Mart in the United States...

, and French rival Carrefour
Carrefour
Carrefour S.A. is an international hypermarket chain headquartered in Levallois-Perret, France. It is one of the largest hypermarket chains in the world...

 (who also sold their stores and left the country in March 2005), Auchan decided to sell their stores to Comercial Mexicana
Comercial Mexicana
Comercial Mexicana is a Mexican hypermarket group, which features stores similar to those owned by Carrefour in France or Wal-Mart in the United States...

 and withdrew from Mexico in early 2005.

In 1997 Auchan sold its hypermarkets in Thailand to Groupe Casino
Groupe Casino
Groupe Casino is a large French multinational corporation, formerly part of the CAC 40 index, whose main business is with retail and distribution in hyper and supermarkets. The company's head office is in Saint-Étienne....

.

In 2007 Auchan sold its Argentine stores to Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. , branded as Walmart since 2008 and Wal-Mart before then, is an American public multinational corporation that runs chains of large discount department stores and warehouse stores. The company is the world's 18th largest public corporation, according to the Forbes Global 2000...

and withdrew from the country.

Following a conflict with his Moroccan partner ONA, Auchan has sold its 49% in August 2007.

In January 2011 Auchan dropped out of the Dubai market after just two years.

Initial Public Offering

Sun Art Retail Group Ltd., the Chinese hypermarket operator backed by Auchan will Go Public in Hong Kong at July 15, 2011 with hope to raise about $1 billion.

External links

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