Casino Announces Plans to Make Changes to Its Organization in France and Speed up Deployment of Its Precision Retailing Strategy
SAINT-ETIENNE, France--(Business Wire)-- Regulatory News: Since 2005, Casino (Paris:CO) has been deploying a precision retailing strategy that focuses on proactively responding to emerging shopper expectations and leveraging its brand equity. This strategy has driven strong growth in Casino-brand products, which play a key role in building customer loyalty. It has also led to the rebranding of the Group`s Géant hypermarkets, which were all renamed Géant Casino in late 2006, and the deployment since 2008 of an advertising strategy focused on the Casino brand and showcasing the Group`s unique positioning in the French retail industry. In addition, the precision retailing strategy has been significantly enhanced by the partnership with dunnhumby, which enables the Group to analyse customer buying habits and tailor its product and service offering to each type of shopper in each store. In line with these choices - which are all designed to drive a customer-centric strategy and support the related organisation -, at the end of November, Casino will present to employee representatives two projects, one to broaden and deepen cross-business relations between the Hypermarket and Supermarket divisions, and the other to create a single purchasing department responsible for both food and non-food procurement. This would enable the Group to capitalize on the respective strengths of the Hypermarket and Supermarket businesses, and thus improve their marketing efficiency and raise the profile of the Casino brand-banner, while ensuring that the two networks retain their unique characteristics and competitive advantages. Reflecting this process, the position of Chief Operating Officer, Hypermarkets and Supermarkets, would be created, to whom the two divisions` General Executive Managing Directors would report. The creation of a single Management Committee comprising representatives of the support functions (marketing, human resources, finance, logistics and information systems, project design and management, business development and franchising) would help to release marketing synergies between the two networks by improving coordination of: * Promotional campaigns * Loyalty programmes and customer services * Extension and development programmes * Food product assortments * Advertising and Communication. As part of the project, André Lucas, General Executive Managing Director, Casino Supermarkets, would become Chief Operating Officer, Casino Hypermarkets and Supermarkets. He would be assisted and supported by: - Gérard Walter, currently Food Purchasing Director, who would become General Executive Managing Director, Géant Casino. - Jean Rubens, currently Director, Group Marketing, who would become General Executive Managing Director, Casino Supermarkets. Alain Bizeul, currently Brands Director, and Stephan Ralaimongo, currently Marketing Communication Director, would become joint acting Directors, Group Marketing. Jean Duboc, who was appointed General Executive Managing Director, Géant Hypermarkets in 2007 for three years, has successfully launched the necessary in-depth transformation of the hypermarket format. In light of his skills and many years' retailing experience in both South America and France, Mr Duboc will continue to partner the Group as Advisor to the Chairman. With the same objective of increasing operational efficiency and optimising the Group`s purchasing strategy, the Non-Food Purchasing and Food Purchasing Departments would be combined under the leadership of Hervé Daudin, Merchandise and Supply Chain Director. He would be assisted and supported by: - Yannick Migotto, currently Supply Chain Director at Franprix-Leader Price, who would become Director, Food Purchasing. - A Director, Non-Food Purchasing who is in the process of being hired. - Pierre Derouard, currently Deputy Merchandise and Supply Chain Director, who would take responsibility for a Finance and Administration Department of EMC Distribution, comprising the human resources, finance, legal, engineering and quality functions. The Group will also continue deploying responsive, precision category management practices based on the designation of a single manager for each product family. Lastly, a dedicated Finance Department for Casino France (covering the convenience, hypermarket and supermarket formats, Easydis, CIT and EMC Distribution) would be created. Headed by Camille de Verdelhan, currently Strategy and Planning Director, it would help to ensure a more proactive approach to managing the sub-group`s performance. By streamlining decision-making processes, the new organisation is designed to improve coordination between banners with targeted customer strategies and pooled support functions, thereby enhancing the effectiveness of the Group`s proprietary customer intelligence, purchasing and logistics systems. Casino Investor Relations Nadine Coulm ncoulm@groupe-casino.fr +33 (0)1 53 65 64 17 or Aline Nguyen anguyen@groupe-casino.fr +33 (0)1 53 65 64 85 Copyright Business Wire 2009
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