French retailer Auchan will negotiate on behalf of the German company Metro the purchase of international and national products that will be distributed in Metro’s stores in Romania.

The two companies had signed an international partnership last year, which has resulted in the merger of the two companies’ acquisitions departments this month. However, each company will carry out independently its other commercial and sales activities, including setting the prices and establishing the advertising activities, reports local Economica.net.

In November 2014, the two groups have started their cooperation internationally, due to a deflationist context and the emergence of several alliances in the European retail. They’ve decided to expand their cooperation this month.

This collaboration comes after Auchan took over 20 real hypermarkets from German group Metro in Romania, in 2013. Auchan now has 33 hypermarkets in the local market, whereas Metro Cash & Carry operates 31 cash & carry stores. Each of the networks has annual sales of around EUR 1 billion.

editor@romania-insider.com