With the rise in food prices, the French are increasingly abandoning large retailers like Auchan to rush to new brands like Hmarket that focus on low-priced products.
The low-cost supermarket Hmarket opened its doors on Wednesday in Buchelay, near Mantes-la-Jolie (Yvelines). It is the tenth store of the chain in the Paris region. An opening that, as much as it delights consumers due to inflation, worries the local competing chains like Auchan.
Auchan has just announced the upcoming closure of seven supermarkets in France, including two in Les Mureaux and Rambouillet, in the Yvelines. The reason is insufficient profitability due to fierce competition from HMarket.