Press

18 May 2011

Successful 10-year bond issue of € 850 million

Casino successfully issued today a new 10-year bond of €850 million.

In this respect, €300 million of the bonds maturing in February 2012 (with a coupon of 6.0%), April 2013 (with a coupon of 6.375%) and April 2014 (with a coupon of 4.875%) were exchanged.
The new €850 million bond issue maturing in 2021 has a 4.726% coupon, equivalent to mid-swap +130bp. Significantly oversubscribed, it also enabled to raise €530 million of new money.

The average maturity of the Group’s bond debt is extended to 4.6 years (vs 3.4 years previously) and its average financing cost optimized.

The deal was led by Citi, Deutsche Bank, HSBC, JPMorgan, Natixis, and RBS acted as joint bookrunners.

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

Paris, 18 May 2011
Investor Relations

Régine GAGGIOLI
rgaggioli@groupe-casino.fr
+33 (0)1 53 65 64 17

Aline NGUYEN
anguyen@groupe-casino.fr
+33 (0)1 53 65 64 85

12 April 2011

First-quarter 2011 sales

9 March 2011

Casino Group reaches milestone of 10% disabled workforce and renews its “Handipacte” agreement

In conjunction with the assessment of its 4th “Handipacte” agreement covering the period 2006-2010, Casino announced that it has reached the symbolic milestone of a 10% disabled workforce (compared to a legal obligation of 6%) in the stores covered by the Group agreement.

This is the result of a deliberate policy to promote employment for people with disabilities which the Casino Group and its employees have been pursuing for the last 15 years.

Results that go far beyond commitments

A total of 520 people with disabilities were recruited during this period, exceeding the target (300 people) agreed with the social partners by 173%. With regard to its other commitments, Casino went the extra mile by taking on 418 trainees, compared to a target of 350 over the term of the agreement, thus achieving a 10.07% disabled workforce in the stores covered by the Group agreement.

The Group’s efforts in this area are part of a drive for sustainable employment: 96% of its employees with disabilities are on open-ended contracts.

 A renewed agreement

On 1st January 2011, the Group renewed the “Handipacte” agreement with the social partners for a period of 3 years. The agreement is currently being accredited by DIRECCTE (Regional Directorate for business, competition, consumer affairs, work and employment). It envisages hiring 180 people, taking on 180 trainees and launching innovations focusing on :

  • developing sandwich courses and apprenticeships,
  • implementation of accessibility and digital measures
  • a trial project involving part-financing the adaptation of the personal vehicle of an employee’s spouse or child who is legally disabled.

The Group now intends to build on these achievements with new initiatives to cater for customers with disabilities.

Further information on the Casino Group: Casino Group was awarded the “Diversity Label” in 2009.

To find out more: Press Contact

 

1 March 2011

2010 full-year results of Casino group





 

10 February 2011

Franprix – Leader Price : New decision by the Court of Arbitration in the dispute between Casino and the Baud Family

Casino a eu connaissance ce jour d’une nouvelle décision arbitrale rendue dans le litige l’opposant à la famille Baud.

Casino has been informed today that the Court of Arbitration has handed down a new decision concerning the dispute between Casino and the Baud family.

Casino is pleased to note that the Court of Arbitration has rejected out of hand the Baud family’s claim for payment of Franprix and Leader Price dividends for 2006 and 2007, due to the observed errors and irregularities in their financial statements.

As a result of this new decision, Casino will be required to pay only €34 million, corresponding to (i) the Franprix and Leader Price dividends for 2008, (ii) additional consideration for the Franprix and Leader Price shares previously acquired by Casino and (iii) late interest over and above the €18 million already paid to the Baud family. This amount of €34 million is significantly less than the €67 million provision that had been booked in the Casino Group’s accounts.

The Baud family’s initial claim in respect of the above totalled more than €140 million.

Paris, 10 February 2011

Investor Relations
+ 33 (0)1 53 65 64 18

6 January 2011

Casino acquires Charle brothers’ stake in Cdiscount

Hervé, Christophe and Nicolas Charle, Casino’s partners in Cdiscount since 2000, have decided to sell their remaining 18.6% stake to Groupe Casino, which now holds a 99.6% interest in the company.

The Charle brothers, who are planning to pursue other business projects, will also give up their operating responsibilities at Cdiscount, which will continue to be managed by Olivier Marcheteau, Chairman of the Board of Directors, and Emmanuel Grenier, Managing Director.

Paris, 6 January 2011

Investor Relations :

Nadine Coulm
ncoulm@groupe-casino.fr
+33 (0)1 53 65 64 17

Aline Nguyen
anguyen@groupe-casino.fr
+33 (0)1 53 65 64 85

Press Relations :

Frédéric Croccel
fcroccel@groupe-casino.fr
+33 (0)1 53 65 24 39

3 January 2011

Alain Thaly is named Group Marketing Director of the Casino Group

Alain THALY is joining the Casino Group as the Group’s Marketing Director, reporting directly to Jean-Charles NAOURI.

Aged 44 and a graduate of the ‘Institut Supérieur de Commerce de Paris’, Alain THALY has until recently been the International Marketing Director of the Carlsberg Breweries Group.

After having begun his career with Coca-Cola and holding a variety of marketing functions, he moved on to work for Remy Cointreau, Scottish and Newcastle and then Carlsberg as Marketing Director and International Branch Director.

Saint-Etienne, the Third of January 2011.

Press Contacts:

Image Sept
Karine Allouis and Priscille Reneaume
Tel. 01 53 70 74 21
kallouis@image7.frpreneaume@image7.fr

Groupe Casino
Frédéric Croccel
Tel. 01 53 65 24 39
fcroccel@groupe-casino.fr

 

20 December 2010

The Casino Group is joining EMD Central European Purchasing

With effect from the 1st January 2011, EMC Distribution, the central purchasing division of the Casino Group in France, will be joining EMD, a European centralised purchasing group.

EMC Distribution is one of the largest centralised purchasing offices in France, notably for own branded products, thanks to the consolidation of the Casino, Monoprix and Leader Price brands. Through its partnership with EMD, the Group’s central purchasing service will improve the competitiveness of its purchases. The 15 members of EMD cover approximately 500 key players in food distribution and almost 150,000 points of sale.

This partnership will allow EMD to develop its European leadership. The addition of the Casino Group occurs at a key stage where EMD is reforming its operating methods and management systems under a new leadership team. This new structure, designed not to be top heavy, will ensure efficient coordination and communication between each of the purchasing structures.

Concerning Casino
A multi-format Group, the Casino Group is one of the world leaders of food trade.
Its performance, which has steadily progressed over several years, results from targeted market positioning and a capacity of anticipating evolving changes in life-style and consumption. With a turnover of 26.7 billion euros, the Casino Group includes almost 11,000 stores, of which 9,364 are in France, and 200,000 employees around the world.

Concerning EMD
Present in 16 European countries, EMD is the leader in the sector of food distribution purchasing. With a potential turnover of close to 130 billion euros, the centralised purchasing strengthens its contracts with manufacturers of national branded products and its purchases of own branded products.

Saint-Etienne, the 20th December 2010

Press Contacts :

Image Sept
Karine Allouis et Priscille Reneaume
Tel. 01 53 70 74 21
kallouis@image7.frpreneaume@image7.fr

Groupe Casino
Frédéric Croccel
Tel. 01 53 65 24 39
fcroccel@groupe-casino.fr

 

25 November 2010

Next 26th and 27th of November Group Casino mobilizes to benefit Food Banks

For several years, 76 Food Banks out of the 79 in the national network have counted on the stores within the Casino Group for their daily supply in basic foodstuffs of which the majority have been fresh produce. This partnership was strengthened by a national partnership contract covering food aid signed in March 2009 by Jean-Charles Naouri, Chief Executive of Group Casino, and Alain Seugé, President of the French Food Bank Federation.

This contract marks the commitment of the Casino Group, which started several years ago, in favour of Food Banks and underlines the Casino Group’s commitment to the values of solidarity which is at the heart of the company’s culture.

This year, the Casino Group anticipates a greater depth to it’s commitment to food aid thanks to the national involvement of all its banners.

  • 14 Géant Casino stores, 370 Casino Supermarkets, at least 220 Franprix stores as well as Leader Price are mobilised and will participate in Food Bank collection schemes.
  • A dozen associates, notably at Toulouse, Bordeaux and in the Rhône-Alpes region, have taken a day’s holiday to participate in this collection as volunteers, within the framework of leave for Solidarity Activity put in place by the Casino Group for the Food Banks.
  • The network of small convenience stores like Vival and Petit Casino have equally decided to contribute.

In total 5,300 stores have been informed and mobilised, as much by Head Office as by the commercial teams and regional management on the side of the Food Banks themselves.
The involvement of all the banners of the Casino Group permitted the collection of more than 11,000 tons of produce in 2009.

Investor Relations
Nadine Coulm
ncoulm@groupe-casino.fr
+33 (0)1 53 65 64 17

Aline Nguyen
anguyen@groupe-casino.fr
+33 (0)1 53 65 64 85

Press Relations
Frédéric Croccel
fcroccel@groupe-casino.fr
+33 (0)1 53 65 24 39

Press contact

For any press request relating to the Casino Group and its brands: Casino, Monoprix, Vival, Spar, Naturalia and Franprix

 

Group Communication Department
directiondelacommunication@groupe-casino.fr
(+33) 1 53 65 24 29