Casino Announces Plans to Make Changes to Its Organization in France and Speed up Deployment of Its Precision Retailing Strategy

Tue Nov 17, 2009 2:45am EST
 
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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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