Groupe Casino
French mass-market retail group spanning grocery, convenience, discount, e-commerce and related services.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
Groupe Casino, also known as Casino Group or Casino Guichard-Perrachon, is a French mass-market retail company whose roots extend to a grocery store in Saint-Étienne and whose formal corporate foundation dates to 2 August 1898. Geoffroy Guichard developed the original store into a broader food-retailing business and established Guichard-Perrachon & Co. with members of his family. The name Casino was retained from the former Lyrical Casino premises occupied by the original shop. The group expanded early through a combination of branches, concessions, warehouses and manufacturing facilities. Its historic activities included grocery retailing, bread production, oil, chocolate, coffee roasting, wine and spirits. By the early twentieth century, Casino had built a substantial regional network and introduced employee-oriented measures including insurance, health services, family benefits, profit sharing and pensions. The company was listed on the stock exchange from 1910. Casino became associated with several developments in modern French retail. After Pierre Guichard studied North American retailing, the group opened its first French self-service store in Saint-Étienne in 1948. It subsequently introduced refrigerated distribution equipment, supermarket formats and large hypermarkets. In 1959, it became an early retailer to print sell-by dates on products. Its formats evolved from traditional grocery stores to supermarkets, hypermarkets, convenience outlets, discount stores and wholesale operations. The company broadened its geographic reach from the 1970s onward. It experimented with retail and food-service operations in the United States, expanded into South America and entered partnerships and investments involving businesses in Brazil, Colombia, Argentina, Uruguay and Asia. The group also assembled a portfolio of French brands and businesses, including Monoprix, Franprix, Leader Price, Cdiscount and Vival. Its activities have included financial services, shopping-centre property management and energy services through businesses such as Banque Casino, Mercialys and GreenYellow. Control of the group changed decisively during the 1990s. Casino merged with the Rallye group in 1992, and Jean-Charles Naouri subsequently became its controlling shareholder after a contested takeover battle involving Promodès. Under Naouri, Casino pursued acquisitions, international expansion and digital retail, including increased control of GPA in Brazil and investment in Grupo Éxito in Colombia. Cdiscount became a major e-commerce asset, while Monoprix and Franprix strengthened the group’s presence in urban and convenience retail. From the mid-2010s, Casino began refocusing its international portfolio and selling several overseas assets, including Big C operations in Thailand and Vietnam. In France, it invested in online grocery logistics through a technology partnership with Ocado and explored links between Monoprix and Amazon’s Prime Now service. The group’s financial position later deteriorated under a heavy debt burden. Rallye entered bankruptcy protection in 2019, and Casino underwent several rounds of restructuring, disposals and creditor negotiations. Between June 2023 and October 2024, the group sold or transferred all of its Casino supermarkets and Géant hypermarkets in metropolitan France to competitors as part of its restructuring. The Casino and Géant banners have also been reduced or replaced in parts of its international network. A consortium led by Daniel Kretinsky became the controlling shareholder in 2024, with approximately 53.7% of the share capital according to the cited reference material. The group remains a listed French retailer, but its post-restructuring profile is more concentrated on convenience, urban formats, e-commerce and selected affiliated or franchised activities than on large French hypermarkets.
History
Casino began as a grocery business in Saint-Étienne developed by Geoffroy Guichard, who became sole owner of the original store in 1892. On 2 August 1898, he and his father-in-law established the Société des Magasins du Casino under the corporate name Guichard-Perrachon & Co. The business rapidly opened branches and built warehouses and production facilities. Although a fire damaged its Saint-Étienne facilities in 1900, they were rebuilt and expanded. During its first decades, Casino combined retail distribution with manufacturing and wholesale capabilities. It introduced employee welfare measures, including insurance, medical support, family benefits, profit sharing and a pension fund. The company also developed an employee sports association that later contributed to the institutional history of Association Sportive de Saint-Étienne. By 1929, Casino had nearly 1,000 branches and more than 500 other outlets across numerous French districts. After Geoffroy Guichard’s death in 1940, management passed to members of the Guichard family and related executives. During the Second World War, Casino facilities suffered bombing damage, while executive François Kemlin organized clandestine support activities using company resources. After the war, Pierre Guichard’s study of North American retailing led to the opening of Casino’s first self-service shop in 1948. The group then expanded refrigeration and modern food-distribution practices, and in 1959 became an early distributor to show sell-by dates on consumer products. Casino developed new store formats during the postwar period. It opened a supermarket under the Nica name in Nice in 1957, followed by Casino-branded supermarkets from 1960. Its first Géant Casino hypermarket opened in Marseille in 1970. The group also briefly entered do-it-yourself retail through SOMABRI before transferring majority control to Castorama in 1989. International expansion began in the 1970s with Casino USA and food-service operations in the United States. The group later participated in the development of Smart & Final and expanded into South America and Asia. Partnerships with Dairy Farm and investments in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia and Uruguay helped create a multinational retail portfolio. In France, Casino acquired or developed interests in Monoprix, Franprix, Leader Price, Cdiscount and other networks. The 1992 merger with Rallye broadened Casino’s French distribution and catering activities. Jean-Charles Naouri, who had acquired Rallye after its financial difficulties, became increasingly influential. Following a takeover contest in 1997–1998, Naouri became Casino’s controlling shareholder. Under his leadership, the group increased its stake in GPA, acquired greater control of Cdiscount and expanded its urban and digital businesses. It also created or developed related activities in banking, property and energy. From 2015, Casino pursued a more selective international strategy, selling major interests in Thailand and Vietnam while emphasizing France, Latin America and selected franchise markets. Its Ocado partnership and relationship with Amazon reflected the shift toward digitally enabled grocery retail. However, substantial debt and the financial pressures affecting Rallye weakened the group. Rallye entered bankruptcy protection in 2019, followed by further restructuring efforts. The restructuring accelerated in 2023 and 2024. Casino sold or transferred its French supermarkets and Géant hypermarkets to competitors, discontinued or reduced certain activities, and concentrated on convenience, urban retail, e-commerce and franchise formats. In 2024, a consortium led by Daniel Kretinsky acquired control. The group’s long history therefore combines early retail innovation and multi-format expansion with a recent transformation from a broad hypermarket-centered conglomerate into a more focused and financially restructured retailer.
- 2024
Kretinsky-led consortium takes control
[1]A consortium led by Daniel Kretinsky acquired control during Casino’s financial restructuring.
- 2017
Ocado technology partnership
[1]Casino agreed with Ocado to develop an automated online-grocery platform in France.
- 2012
Control of GPA increased
[1]Casino became the sole controlling shareholder of Brazilian retailer GPA.
- 1998
Naouri becomes controlling shareholder
[1]Jean-Charles Naouri became Casino’s majority shareholder after a takeover battle.
- 1992
Merger with Rallye
[1]Casino merged with Rallye, expanding its French distribution and catering activities.
- 1970
First Géant hypermarket
[1]The first Géant Casino hypermarket opened in Marseille.
- 1959
Sell-by dates displayed
[1]Casino became an early distributor to print sell-by dates on products.
- 1948
First self-service store
[1]Casino opened its first self-service store in Saint-Étienne.
- 1910
Shares listed
[1]Casino shares began trading on the stock exchange.
- 1901
Early distributor brand introduced
[1]Casino is credited with introducing one of France’s first distributor-owned product brands.
Products and positioning
Mass-market retail group combining urban convenience, grocery, discount, e-commerce and multi-format distribution.
Supermarkets and convenience retail · 1898
Casino
The core Casino banner historically covered a broad range of French grocery formats, from neighborhood stores to supermarkets and larger stores. It offers food, fresh products, household goods and everyday consumer merchandise. Following the 2023–2024 restructuring, the banner became more concentrated on smaller and convenience-oriented formats as the group disposed of its French supermarket and hypermarket estate.
Urban retail · 1932
Monoprix
Monoprix is an urban retail banner associated with city-center locations and a mix of food, household products, personal care, fashion and home merchandise. Its positioning is generally more premium and design-oriented than conventional mass-market grocery retail, while its food business provides a convenience proposition for urban customers.
Convenience grocery · 1958
Franprix
Franprix is a French convenience-grocery network focused primarily on urban neighborhoods. Stores emphasize proximity, everyday food and household needs, quick shopping missions and extended convenience. The banner forms part of Casino’s post-restructuring emphasis on smaller-format retail.
E-commerce · 1998
Cdiscount
Cdiscount is Casino’s major e-commerce business and sells a wide range of consumer products, including electronics, household equipment, furniture and general merchandise. It became a strategically important digital asset as the group expanded beyond physical stores and developed online retail capabilities.
Hypermarkets · 1970
Géant Casino
Géant Casino was the group’s hypermarket banner, combining food and non-food merchandise in large-format stores. The first store opened in Marseille in 1970. During the 2023–2024 financial restructuring, Casino sold or transferred its French Géant hypermarkets, substantially reducing the banner’s role in the group.
Discount grocery · 1989
Leader Price
Leader Price is a discount-oriented grocery banner that Casino developed through acquisitions and franchising. It offered private-label and value-focused food and household products. Casino’s later restructuring reduced its involvement, and Leader Price franchise activities were treated as discontinued operations in the group’s first-half 2024 reporting.
Brand decisions
2024
Transfer control to a Kretinsky-led consortiumM&ABackground
The restructuring required a recapitalization and new ownership structure.
Action taken
A consortium led by Daniel Kretinsky took control of approximately 53.7% of Casino’s share capital, according to the cited reference.
Aftermath
Casino continued as a listed company under a substantially reshaped ownership and operating model.
Share capital controlled. 53.7% (2024)
2023
Launch comprehensive financial restructuringStrategyBackground
High debt and liquidity pressure required Casino and its parent Rallye to negotiate with creditors and reconsider the group’s asset base.
Action taken
Casino entered a restructuring process involving disposals, creditor agreements and a change in control.
Aftermath
The process led to the sale or transfer of French supermarkets and hypermarkets and the arrival of a Kretinsky-led controlling consortium.
2017
Build an automated online-grocery platformStrategyBackground
Casino needed stronger digital grocery infrastructure as online shopping became more important in French retail.
Action taken
Casino partnered with Ocado to develop a technology platform and automated warehouse in France.
Aftermath
The partnership supported Casino’s online-grocery strategy and digital fulfillment capabilities.
2016
Dispose of major Big C interestsM&ABackground
Casino began refocusing its international portfolio and sought to reduce exposure to selected Asian operations.
Action taken
The group announced the sale of most of its Big C Thailand interest and later sold Big C Vietnam to Central Group.
Aftermath
The transactions generated substantial proceeds and marked a retreat from major Thai and Vietnamese retail assets.
Sale proceeds. €3.1 billion for the reported Big C Thailand disposal; approximately US$1 billion for Big C Vietnam (2016)
Sources2 sources
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