UK retailer Tesco and French chain Casino are still in the running to buy Carrefour's South East Asian stores, reports The Financial Times and Reuters.
Aeon and Dairy Farm are also among those who have made it to the next round of bidding, Reuters said.
Carrefour, which wants to sell its outlets in Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand, has set a November 5 deadline for second round bids.
The US$1bn auction has generated robust demand, Reuters said.
The press reported last week that Tesco had been dropped after first round bids.
