Auchan and Max sign franchise deal

French retailer Auchan Group has signed a franchise agreement with Max Hypermarket in India. Under the terms of the deal, the existing stores of Max Hypermarket will be rebranded as ‘Auchan’. Max Hypermarket is owned by the UAE-based Landmark Group. Max and Auchan plan to open 12 to 15 new stores in a year across India.

Speaking on the development, Ramanathan Hariharan, Director, Landmark Group, stated: "We are very pleased at this new relationship with Auchan, one of the largest and most successful hypermarket operators in the world. The Landmark Group has aggressive growth plans for India, across various verticals; and we believe that Auchan are the right franchise partners for us, as we continue to set benchmarks in Indian retailing.

The new relationship is expected to further enhance the standards of hypermarket retailing in the country, besides strengthening company’s back-end supply chain and processes. The partnership is aimed at reinforcing the business objectives of both organisations in providing customers with best of value, choice and experience. The existing Max stores will be rebranded in last quarter of 2012.