Paris, November 26, 2025 — The French authority said the AURA retail alliance — grouping Intermarché, Auchan, and Casino — has agreed to exclude several dozen medium-sized suppliers from its joint purchasing arrangements after investigators flagged upstream risks linked to the pact’s unusually broad scope.
The AURA cooperation agreements were notified under Article L.462-10 of the Commercial Code, which requires buying alliances involving major retailers to be submitted for review. The General Rapporteur opened an investigation last year into the alliance’s joint purchasing and international services cooperation, noting that, unlike other alliances, AURA covered a large share of entreprises de taille intermédiaire (ETIs).
Investigators identified risks for several ETI manufacturers included in the alliance’s branded-goods scope. At the Investigation Services’ request, AURA agreed to remove those suppliers, who will now return to separate bilateral negotiations with retailers. The adjustment does not affect the affiliation relationship between ITM and AMC (Casino).
The authority said it “takes note” of AURA’s decision but will remain vigilant to potential upstream effects on suppliers included in major retail buying groups.
