Casino Guichard-Perrachon SA (CO) has announced it is partnering with Bollore SA to extend its Cdiscount e-commerce platform to Africa starting with Ivory Coast this summer.
“The partnership draws on the expertise of the leaders of e-commerce in France and the skills of the logistics leader in Africa,” they said in a statement.
In e-commerce, Casino and Bollore will be competing with African businesses boosting their online offerings, including Massmart Holdings Ltd, owned by Wal-Mart Stores Inc, the world’s largest retailer.
Last year alone, Cdiscount had business volumes of about US$2.1 billion. The agreement with Bollore SA is similar to one entered by Casino’s domestic rival, Carrefour SA, which is also turning to Africa for growth. Boulogne Billancourt-based Carrefour last year signed a partnership deal with CFAO SA to open shops in eight African countries by 2015, starting in Abidjan, Ivory Coast.
