Press

France’s leading e-commerce company, Cdiscount has won over French customers with its innovative, wide-ranging product assortment and the lowest prices in the market.

Following the launch of new Cdiscount websites in Brazil, Thailand, Vietnam, Colombia, Ecuador, Ivory Coast, Senegal Cameroon and Belgium, Cnova N.V. (part of Groupe Casino) continues its internationalization with the opening of cdiscount.com.pa in Panama (Latin America).

Cdiscount.com.pa offers customers unique opportunities to purchase quality items at significant savings and with the delivery throughout the country. The site already boasts a large assortment including through partner stores on its Marketplace across categories such as electronics, computers, appliances and telephony.

The customers will be able to choose between home delivery and pick-up points according to their preference and through various means of payment: Paypal and credit cards.

Total Group sales of €13.3 billion in Q4 2014, up +1.3% overall and +3.1% on an organic basis (vs. +2.8% in Q3 2013)

• In France, organic growth in Q4 2014 posted a marked improvement (-0.4% vs. -1.6% in Q3 2014); traffic and volumes are now positive (same-store growth of +0.6% and +0.8% and +0.7% and +1.7% respectively for all stores):
  • Sequential improvement across all banners
  • At Géant, better same-store sales growth at -2.3% (vs. -3.9% in Q3 2014); in food, sales strongly improved and grew by +1.6% vs. -1.3% in Q3 2014. Traffic rose by +1.8% and volumes by +4.6%, with FMCG volumes up +5.7%
  • At Leader Price, same-store traffic is now positive at +1.2% and volumes are stable. Total sales increased by +2.3%. For all stores, traffic grew by +9.5% and volumes by +5.8%
• internationally, organic growth was up +5.6%, driven by sales in Brazil and good performance in Asia, where same-store sales recovered

GMV of Cnova (E-commerce) of €1,469.2 million, demonstrating strong growth of +28.6%

January 12, 2015 — Cnova N.V. (NASDAQ: CNV) today announced net sales, GMV and other data as of and for the fourth quarter and full year ended December 31, 2014.

Ø  GMV grew 28.6% from €1,144.4M to €1,471.7M in 4Q14 vs 4Q13, demonstrating Cnova’s successful strategy to develop both its direct sales and marketplace businesses

Ø  Net sales increased 19.7% from €917.7M to €1,098.6M in 4Q14 vs 4Q13

o  28.6% growth at Cnova Brazil and 15.5% growth at Cdiscount

Ø  Marketplace as a share of GMV increased from 13.2% to 21.5% in France and from 3.8% to 12.4% in Brazil in 4Q14 vs 4Q13

Ø  Active clients increased 23.1% from 11.0 M to 13.6 M in 4Q14 vs 4Q13 and orders increased 38.0% from 7.9 M to 10.8 M in 4Q14 vs 4Q13

o   Clients are placing more repeat orders and buying more items, which is a positive commercial indicator

Ø  Cdiscount GMV increased 26.1% from €627.0M to €790.5M in 4Q14 vs 4Q13 due to net sales growth of 15.5% and an 836 bps increase in marketplace as a share of GMV

Ø  Cnova Brazil GMV increased 36.6% from R$1,577.3M to R$2,153.9M in 4Q14 vs 4Q13 due to net sales growth of 28.6% and an 865 bps increase in marketplace as a share of GMV

(1) GMV or Gross Merchandise Volume is comprised of our product sales, other revenues and marketplaces business volumes, after returns, including taxes.

(2) Active clients at the end of December having purchased at least once through our sites during the last 12 months.

(3) Total placed orders before cancellation due to fraud detection or customers not paying for their order and after correction of orders placed in one period but not delivered until the following period.

(4) Marketplace share on www.cdiscount.com.

(5) Marketplace share on www.extra.com.br. 

(6) Share of placed orders value from mobile devices excluding specialty websites.

True to its mission to give everyone access to high quality at the lowest prices, Leader Price is currently the most affordable food banner in France. The banner has assertively expanded its store network, boasting a total of 1,001 sales outlets in France as of 31 December 2014. Leader Price is France’s first discount banner to offer drive-through service, now available at over 100 stores.

To enhance its relationship with customers and meet their emerging needs, Leader Price has launched a new concept in France designed to satisfy demand for local convenience, discounts and low prices: Leader Price Express.

Nearly 62% of today’s consumers shop at convenience stores and 71% appreciate their accessibility, people-scale format and extended opening hours.

Based on this observation, last July Leader Price launched the pilot phase of Leader Price Express, a new banner with a unique offering and positioning.

Leader Price Express has enhanced the existing Leader Price store network and strengthened its presence in local retail. The new convenience banner shares Leader Price’s values:

• Year-round low prices
• High-quality products and a fast shopping experience
• Stores with surface areas ranging from 75 to 300 square meters
• A simple, modern, elegant concept suited to the needs of urban shoppers
• A broad, varied offering ranging from 1,180 products at small outlets to 2,900 at 300-sq.m stores
• Assortments in which over 80% of items are Leader Price private-label products.

Following the successful pilot launch, Leader Price has stepped up the development of Leader Price Express, which had 240 outlets in France as of year-end 2014.

Leader Price, a banner committed to quality

Leader Price has built a powerful image of quality and choice in the discount market since it was created in 1990. Underpinned by a focus on everyday low prices on all products, Leader Price provides a carefully selected range of high-quality items that are perfectly suited to the needs of customers, while also offering an efficient, enjoyable shopping experience. The banner has a line-up of over 3,500 items, of which 80% are Leader Price-label products, 10% Le Prix Gagnant products and 10% national brand products. All share a commitment to health, taste, products grown or made in France, safety and traceability.

The banner’s partnership with French food critic and television personality Jean-Pierre Coffe demonstrates that quality is a question of choice. Mr. Coffe participates actively in the development and validation of core Leader Pricelabel products and other specific labels (regional, organic, special occasion and Italian). This partnership has developed through an in-depth process to lift Leader Price products to ever-higher levels of quality and taste.

Hypermarket Géant Casino is on a strong growth trajectory after several seasons of assertive price positioning and significant efforts to differentiate and modernise its offering. This is why Géant Casino has to constantly innovate, demonstrate boldness and surprise its customers.

Investing in price cuts is a major focus. With the launch of the “Sale Price” program in both the food and non-food segments, Géant Casino is putting the fun back in shopping with broadly affordable products that make it “OK to indulge”.

In the non-food segment, Géant Casino is reinventing its line-up and appealing to shoppers with clearly legible, low prices on 10,000 items – from clothing, linens and household furnishings to perfumes, DIY supplies, toys and leisure goods. These deals are available on a recurring basis throughout the year.

Géant Casino is adopting a transparent policy of attractive prices all year round, while also refocusing assortments on best sellers via a pooled purchasing strategy, to simplify the offering for shoppers.

A new Géant hypermarket opens in Abu Dhabi’s new Yas Mall

The Casino Group is stepping up its 110-store-strong presence in the North Africa and Middle East regions, which offer major growth potential. The Group is pursuing its expansion in the Middle East by opening a Géant hypermarket in Yas Mall, Abu Dhabi’s largest shopping destination and the second-largest in the United Arab Emirates. The retail complex extends over 235,000 square meters, offers parking facilities for 10,000 vehicles and boasts more than 300 stores.

With a surface area of 10,000 square meters, the new Géant hypermarket incorporates the Group’s latest concepts and offers its customers a wide selection of products, including private labels such as Casino Délices and Casino Bio.

The franchise’s fast-paced growth is driven by agreements with local partners. fu-com is developing Géant hypermarkets in the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Kuwait, while Al Meera is spearheading Géant’s establishment in Qatar. The Monoprix banner is managed by the Ali Bin Ali Group in Qatar and ADMIC in Lebanon. In Tunisia, the Géant hypermarket and Monoprix banners are franchised to Mabrouk. These robust, sustainable partnerships allow Casino to expand its banners’ presence and win new customers.

The 2015 expansion program includes 5 new openings in the United Arab Emirates, of which 3 Géant hypermarkets and 10 openings in Tunisia.

Cdiscount’s new speciality website moncornerbrico.com is an online DIY store with a dedicated webzine.

Following the launch of moncornerdeco.com and comptoirsanté.com, Cdiscount is continuing to diversify its offering with a new site dedicated to the DIY universe, driven by the ambition to provide beginning and experienced DIY enthusiasts with every possible, practical solution.

Covering every aspect of the home – tools & hardware, electrical, plumbing, kitchen, bath, paint & finishes, landscaping and gardening – more than 50,000 products are available either directly through the site or through partner vendors in the site’s marketplace.

The selection includes leading DIY brands such as Makita, Kärcher, Bosch, Black&Decker, Ryobi and Facom, and offers the best value for money in the market.  Backed by their industry-specific experience and uniquely shaped experience, Cdiscount’s buyers know how to identify the best bargains. Some 100,000 items will become rapidly available to shoppers as the site’s marketplace develops.

Like its older brother moncornerdeco.com, the new website gives consumers access to a webzine full of advice and tips. Brico Mag contains a number of tutorials with step-by-step instructions for:

• putting up a plasterboard partition;
• servicing a water heater, insulating a ceiling;
• replacing a window pane or unclogging a drain.

In addition, DIY enthusiasts will find shopping guides that provide critical information for finding what they need, whether a steam cleaner or high-pressure washer, electric or cordless power drill, synthetic or natural insulation, etc.

moncornerbrico.com leverages major synergies with Cdiscount for the benefit of its customers. For example, the site provides unrivalled delivery and payment options. Very soon, customers will be able to pay in four instalments by bankcard for purchases starting at €30.

Thanks to Cdiscount’s logistics platform, packages weighing less than 30 kg can be delivered to customer homes for a reasonable fee, and purchases of €25 or more can be delivered free of charge to one of the 15,000 pick-up locations in the network. Packages exceeding 30 kg can be collected by customers at one of the network’s 500 dedicated outlets.

Cdiscount will be launching five new speciality sites in 2015.

Offering industry-specific expertise, a wealth of high-quality editorial content, the technical and logistical infrastructure of France’s leading e-tailer and dedicated customer service for demanding shoppers, moncornerbaby.com is the newest born specialty website from Cdiscount.

Specially designed to meet the needs of babies and their parents, moncornerbaby.com features an array of nearly 15,000 infant care products and baby toys and is thereby establishing its position as a specialist in nursery décor and educational games, with a selection of premium items from the very best manufacturers.

Everything relating to newborn life is covered, from outings, travel, safety and bathing to mealtime, bedtime, playtime and, let’s not forget, mother care. Shoppers can choose from a range of prestigious, high-quality brands as well as a selection of items available from vendors in the online marketplace.

To ensure their children are given the very best, new parents will also be able to glean information from Baby Mag, the site’s thoroughly practical webzine, which is written by a team of specialised journalists offering expert advice and friendly tips:

• “The top five fashion tips for new mothers”
• “How to soothe a crying baby (and stay zen)”
• “Dealing with the baby blues”
• Shopping guides, Babycook recipes, decorating ideas for the nursery, etc.
• Plus information on every baby-related subject imaginable.

moncornerbaby.com leverages Cdiscount’s services and logistics for the benefit its customers. A team of specialised infant care advisors is available to answer any customer inquiries via telephone. In addition, the site provides shoppers with unrivalled payment and delivery options. Very soon, customers will be able to pay in four instalments by bankcard for purchases starting at €30.

Thanks to Cdiscount’s logistics platform, packages weighing less than 30 kg can be delivered to customer homes for a reasonable fee, and purchases of €25 or more can be delivered free of charge to one of the 15,000 pick-up locations in the network. Packages exceeding 30 kg can be collected by customers at one of the network’s 500 dedicated outlets.

Cdiscount will be launching five new speciality sites in 2015.

Casino successfully issued a new long 10 year €650 million bond.

This new bond has been more than twice oversubscribed by a diversified investor base and will pay a coupon of 2.33%, the lowest coupon ever for the Group.

This operation strengthens the Group’s liquidity and extends the average maturity of Casino’s bond debt from 5.9 to 6.3 years. Proceeds will be used for General Corporate Purposes including repayments of maturing debt.

Casino is rated BBB- stable by Standard & Poor’s and Fitch Ratings.

Bank of America Merrill Lynch, CM-CIC, Credit Suisse, Deutsche Bank, Natixis and Société Générale acted as joint bookrunners.