The founder of French retailer E Leclerc, Edouard Leclerc, has passed away at the age of 85, according to reports.
He is survived by three children, including Michel-Edouard Leclerc, the current head of the company.
The retailer was founded in 1949, when Edouard Leclerc opened a small grocery store in Landerneau in the northwest of France. It has since become one of the biggest in the country.
In a statement, the FCD, the French trade and retail federation, offered its condolences to the family on behalf of the industry.
'Edouard Leclerc touched the entire profession with his dynamism, his desire to conquor new markets and the success of the company he founded,' it said. 'He will be remembered as a great entrepreneur.'
