Groupe Auchan SA, is based in Croix, France, owns the Jumbo supermarket chain in Portugal but has decided to change the name of the stores in a move to standardise the various retail brands it operates across 17 countries.
"In Portugal, we are assessing the impact of a change," said Wilhelm Hubner, chief executive of the Auchan group.
"Portuguese customers already know the Auchan brand," he said, hinting at a change to the name of the original Auchan company
The French group justifies the standardisation of its store brands with the reinforcement of its strategy in the digital segment. "It's important to have a single brand for the customer to recognise, not five brands which naturally creates confusion. The process will be completed by the end of next year,” Hubner says.
The group, founded in 1961 is controlled by the bllionaire Mulliez family, which also owns Decathlon and Norauto, has grown by acquisition and hence has a myriad of brands under its control.
In Portugal, Auchan operates Jumbo, Pão de Açúcar, Oney, Jumbo Natureza and Immochan, in Spain there is Alcampo, Sabeco, Simply Market, Immochan and accordfin to contend with, while in its home market, Auchan runs Auchan, Atac, Simply Market, Auchan Direct, Voyages Auchan, Banque Accord, Alinéa, A2Pas.
Asked about the impact of Amazon's eventual online entry into Portugal, Wilhelm Hubner sees the future as a 'hybrid offer' -
"Amazon are in digital and need the physical products, hence Amazon’s association with Wholefoods. We are in the physical world and we are developing digital," says Hubner, with a sense of mystery.
France’s Altice Group also has the standardisation bug, deciding to rename its new Portuguese telecoms assets as ‘Altice’ while scrapping old brands such as PT and MEO.
