The French Competition Authority has confirmed that several dozen suppliers have been removed from the scope of the AURA alliance—a purchasing cooperation between Intermarché, Auchan, and Casino—following a recent investigation.
The AURA agreements, submitted under Article L462-10 of the French Commercial Code as established by the Macron Law of August 6, 2015, were first examined after the General Rapporteur opened an investigation in 2024. The review focused on the cooperation between the retailers in the purchase and sale of international services, noting that AURA occupies a significant position in the consumer goods supply market. Unlike similar alliances, AURA includes a wide range of suppliers, notably a considerable share of mid-sized companies (ETIs).
During the investigation, the Competition Authority identified potential upstream risks affecting certain national-brand suppliers within the AURA agreement. In response, AURA agreed to exclude these mid-sized suppliers from the scope of its purchasing alliance. These suppliers will now return to separate negotiations with the retailers, although the overall affiliation relationship between Intermarché (ITM) and AMC (Casino) remains unaffected.
The General Rapporteur acknowledged AURA’s compliance with the request and emphasized that the Competition Authority will continue to monitor upstream risks posed by purchasing alliances among major retailers.