Following weeks of speculation, US online retail giant Amazon has finally announced a partnership with Casino’s upmarket Monoprix chain to sell the latter’s groceries to Amazon’s Prime Now customers in Paris, France.
According to Reuters, future cooperation between the companies could extend beyond Paris, and even beyond France, with talk of a possible partnership or similar deal in Brazil.
Monoprix boasts a network of nearly 800 stores in over 250 cities, with a major focus on quality and fresh items. The chain is comparable to US retailer Whole Foods Market, which Amazon acquired for US$13.7bn last year.
“We consider Monoprix’s product selection to be exceptional,” Amazon France CEO Frederic Duval commented.
Casino already has a delivery partnership with UK online retailer Ocado, signed last year, allowing Monoprix to serve its traditional customers seeking larger orders for next-day delivery, as well as clients of Amazon Prime demanding express delivery of fewer items.
Casino’s rivals are also seeking to boost their online presence in France. Carrefour announced in January that it would invest €2.8bn in digital commerce over the next five years, while Leclerc launched its own home delivery service in Paris this week.
'Monoprix is emphasising its uniqueness, entrenching its position as the leading omni-channel town centre store, and will have the most complete food delivery system in Paris,' said Régis Schultz, president of Monoprix.
The announcement boosted Casino shares by nearly 10 per cent.
