Press - 2014

A new Géant hypermarket opens in Abu Dhabi’s new Yas Mall

The Casino Group is stepping up its 110-store-strong presence in the North Africa and Middle East regions, which offer major growth potential. The Group is pursuing its expansion in the Middle East by opening a Géant hypermarket in Yas Mall, Abu Dhabi’s largest shopping destination and the second-largest in the United Arab Emirates. The retail complex extends over 235,000 square meters, offers parking facilities for 10,000 vehicles and boasts more than 300 stores.

With a surface area of 10,000 square meters, the new Géant hypermarket incorporates the Group’s latest concepts and offers its customers a wide selection of products, including private labels such as Casino Délices and Casino Bio.

The franchise’s fast-paced growth is driven by agreements with local partners. fu-com is developing Géant hypermarkets in the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Kuwait, while Al Meera is spearheading Géant’s establishment in Qatar. The Monoprix banner is managed by the Ali Bin Ali Group in Qatar and ADMIC in Lebanon. In Tunisia, the Géant hypermarket and Monoprix banners are franchised to Mabrouk. These robust, sustainable partnerships allow Casino to expand its banners’ presence and win new customers.

The 2015 expansion program includes 5 new openings in the United Arab Emirates, of which 3 Géant hypermarkets and 10 openings in Tunisia.

Cdiscount’s new speciality website moncornerbrico.com is an online DIY store with a dedicated webzine.

Following the launch of moncornerdeco.com and comptoirsanté.com, Cdiscount is continuing to diversify its offering with a new site dedicated to the DIY universe, driven by the ambition to provide beginning and experienced DIY enthusiasts with every possible, practical solution.

Covering every aspect of the home – tools & hardware, electrical, plumbing, kitchen, bath, paint & finishes, landscaping and gardening – more than 50,000 products are available either directly through the site or through partner vendors in the site’s marketplace.

The selection includes leading DIY brands such as Makita, Kärcher, Bosch, Black&Decker, Ryobi and Facom, and offers the best value for money in the market.  Backed by their industry-specific experience and uniquely shaped experience, Cdiscount’s buyers know how to identify the best bargains. Some 100,000 items will become rapidly available to shoppers as the site’s marketplace develops.

Like its older brother moncornerdeco.com, the new website gives consumers access to a webzine full of advice and tips. Brico Mag contains a number of tutorials with step-by-step instructions for:

• putting up a plasterboard partition;
• servicing a water heater, insulating a ceiling;
• replacing a window pane or unclogging a drain.

In addition, DIY enthusiasts will find shopping guides that provide critical information for finding what they need, whether a steam cleaner or high-pressure washer, electric or cordless power drill, synthetic or natural insulation, etc.

moncornerbrico.com leverages major synergies with Cdiscount for the benefit of its customers. For example, the site provides unrivalled delivery and payment options. Very soon, customers will be able to pay in four instalments by bankcard for purchases starting at €30.

Thanks to Cdiscount’s logistics platform, packages weighing less than 30 kg can be delivered to customer homes for a reasonable fee, and purchases of €25 or more can be delivered free of charge to one of the 15,000 pick-up locations in the network. Packages exceeding 30 kg can be collected by customers at one of the network’s 500 dedicated outlets.

Cdiscount will be launching five new speciality sites in 2015.

Offering industry-specific expertise, a wealth of high-quality editorial content, the technical and logistical infrastructure of France’s leading e-tailer and dedicated customer service for demanding shoppers, moncornerbaby.com is the newest born specialty website from Cdiscount.

Specially designed to meet the needs of babies and their parents, moncornerbaby.com features an array of nearly 15,000 infant care products and baby toys and is thereby establishing its position as a specialist in nursery décor and educational games, with a selection of premium items from the very best manufacturers.

Everything relating to newborn life is covered, from outings, travel, safety and bathing to mealtime, bedtime, playtime and, let’s not forget, mother care. Shoppers can choose from a range of prestigious, high-quality brands as well as a selection of items available from vendors in the online marketplace.

To ensure their children are given the very best, new parents will also be able to glean information from Baby Mag, the site’s thoroughly practical webzine, which is written by a team of specialised journalists offering expert advice and friendly tips:

• “The top five fashion tips for new mothers”
• “How to soothe a crying baby (and stay zen)”
• “Dealing with the baby blues”
• Shopping guides, Babycook recipes, decorating ideas for the nursery, etc.
• Plus information on every baby-related subject imaginable.

moncornerbaby.com leverages Cdiscount’s services and logistics for the benefit its customers. A team of specialised infant care advisors is available to answer any customer inquiries via telephone. In addition, the site provides shoppers with unrivalled payment and delivery options. Very soon, customers will be able to pay in four instalments by bankcard for purchases starting at €30.

Thanks to Cdiscount’s logistics platform, packages weighing less than 30 kg can be delivered to customer homes for a reasonable fee, and purchases of €25 or more can be delivered free of charge to one of the 15,000 pick-up locations in the network. Packages exceeding 30 kg can be collected by customers at one of the network’s 500 dedicated outlets.

Cdiscount will be launching five new speciality sites in 2015.

Casino successfully issued a new long 10 year €650 million bond.

This new bond has been more than twice oversubscribed by a diversified investor base and will pay a coupon of 2.33%, the lowest coupon ever for the Group.

This operation strengthens the Group’s liquidity and extends the average maturity of Casino’s bond debt from 5.9 to 6.3 years. Proceeds will be used for General Corporate Purposes including repayments of maturing debt.

Casino is rated BBB- stable by Standard & Poor’s and Fitch Ratings.

Bank of America Merrill Lynch, CM-CIC, Credit Suisse, Deutsche Bank, Natixis and Société Générale acted as joint bookrunners.

France’s leading e-commerce company, Cdiscount has won over French customers with its innovative, wide-ranging product assortment and the lowest prices in the market.

Following the launch of new Cdiscount websites in Brazil, Thailand, Vietnam, Colombia, Ecuador, Ivory Coast, Senegal and Belgium, Cnova N.V. (part of Groupe Casino) continues its internationalization with the opening of cdiscount.cm in Cameroon (Africa).

Customers will have access to more the 50 000 products available on the site, comprised of diverse and innovative offerings at the lowest prices in the market through various means of payment:

• Mobile;
• cash at pick-up points;
• cash on delivery;
• credit cards.

At launch, customers will be able to choose between home delivery and pick-up points according to their preference.

2,245 Casino Group stores are mobilising to collect basic commodities for donation

During France’s National Food Bank Collection Drive on 28 and 29 November, the Casino Foundation is mobilising the Group’s banners in France to help associations collect basic commodities from customers for redistribution to the poor. In this same spirit of generosity, Instituto GPA in Brazil is organising a Day of Solidarity on 6 December to bring “Happier Holidays” to disadvantaged families.

In France, the Casino Group’s banners – Géant Casino, Casino Supermarkets, Monoprix, Franprix, Leader Price, Casino shop, Petit Casino, Spar and Vival – will be actively participating in this year’s National Food Bank Collection Drive. In 2013, over 1,784 tonnes of basic commodities were collected at 1,421 stores in the Group’s network.

In Brazil, on 6 December, essential foodstuffs such as rice, kidney beans, pasta and oil will be collected by 824 stores under various banners – Pão de Açúcar, Extra Hiper, Extra Super, Mini Mercado and Assaí – for donation to Brazilian non-profit organisations Amigos do Bem, Banco de Alimentos da Prefeitura de Osasco, Mesa Brasil, Rotary, Casa do Caminho, Caritas Santa Terezinha, União dos Moradores de Paraisópolis, Associação das Mulheres de Paraisópolis and Pirata Marinheiros. In addition, Instituto GPA will be donating an additional kilogramme of goods for every 10 kg collected.

Many employees from the Casino Group will be volunteering during those three days to support teams from the food banks.

On 28 November, Cdiscount will inaugurate the tradition of Black Friday by offering its French and international customers a selection of unbeatable promotions, kicking off the Christmas shopping season at exceptional prices.

Customers will benefit from 24 hours of incredible prices in France and in Cdiscount’s other host countries, which include Belgium, Brazil, Colombia, Côte d’Ivoire, Ecuador, Senegal, Thailand and Vietnam.

24 hours of unbelievable promotions to kick off a week of exceptional Christmas sales

Taking a page from an American holiday tradition, Cdiscount is kicking off the Christmas shopping season with unbelievable promotions. On 28 November, for 24 hours, customers will benefit from unbeatable prices on products    from all of the website’s headline categories, including toys, information technology, household appliances, televisions, telephones, video games, home furnishings, fashion, wine and groceries.

Black Friday will open a week of exceptional Christmas sales, from 27 November to 3 December, featuring astounding discounts of up to 85% for toys, housewares and fashion and of up to 70% for high-tech items.

Unparalleled services, as always

For Cdiscount, services are a key strength in its relationship with customers. Website visitors are given the opportunity to pay in four instalments by bankcard for purchases starting at 30 euros. Free delivery in one of the network’s 17,000 pick-up points is offered for purchases of 25 euros and more. Packages weighing more than 30 kg are also delivered free of charge in one of the network’s 500 dedicated outlets. Lastly, free unlimited express delivery for all Cdiscount products was introduced a few months ago for an annual subscription of 19 euros.

Cnova N.V. (“Cnova”), one of the largest global eCommerce companies, announced today the pricing of its initial public offering of 26,800,000 ordinary shares at a price of $7.00 per share, resulting in gross proceeds of approximately $188 million. Cnova’s ordinary shares are expected to begin trading on November 20, 2014 on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the ticker symbol “CNV.” The offering is expected to close on November 25, 2014, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions. In addition, Cnova has granted the underwriters a 30-day option to purchase up to 4,020,000 additional ordinary shares at the initial public offering price to cover over-allotments, if any.

Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC and Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. are acting as joint book runners for the offering, and BNP Paribas Securities Corp., HSBC Securities (USA) Inc., Natixis Securities Americas LLC and SG Americas Securities LLC are acting as co-managers for the offering.

The offering is being made only by means of a prospectus filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), copies of which can be obtained from:

Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC
Attn.: Prospectus Dept.
180 Varick Street, 2nd Floor
New York, NY 10014

J.P. Morgan Securities LLC
c/o Broadridge Financial Solutions
1155 Long Island Avenue
Edgewood, NY, 11717

Attn.: Prospectus Dept.

A registration statement (including a prospectus) relating to these securities has been filed with and declared effective by the SEC. This announcement does not constitute a prospectus and is not an offer to sell or a solicitation of any offer to buy any securities of Cnova nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.

On 20 November, Casino will host 150 secondary school students to provide them with exposure to careers in retail.

During France’s School-Work Week, which runs from 17 to 22 November 2014, the Casino Group is organising a day-long event on 20 November called “Working at Casino” which will be dedicated to giving 150 disadvantaged students exposure to the careers the Group offers.

A signatory of the Corporate Commitment Charter for Equal Opportunities in Education and a founding member of Le Réseau, a non-profit organisation that works to create a bridge between education and business through grassroots initiatives, Casino has long been actively engaged in promoting employment and career guidance for young people.

The event on 20 November will help students lay the groundwork for their future careers. Jobs at the Group’s stores, warehouses and headquarters will be presented through a series of site visits and round table discussions focusing on jobs in retail and logistics.

Five of the Group’s sites will host pupils from partner schools in disadvantaged areas. The schools involved include: the Elsa Molière school in Chennevières-sur-Marne, the Gambetta, Marc Seguin, Jules Vallès and Jean Dasté schools in Saint-Étienne, the Germaine Tillion school in the 12th arrondissement of Paris and the Lucas de Nehou and Érik Satie schools in the 14th arrondissement of Paris.

The Group is also committed to opening up work experience opportunities to 14- and 15-year-old pupils by promoting a Students’ Guide and a Charter of Commitment for Students in its stores.

Yves Desjacques, Group Human Resources Director, said: “the Working at Casino day is an important event in the Group’s calendar each year as it allows employees to share their passion for what they do with young people who rarely have the chance to get this sort of first-hand experience. The Group is proud of this role it plays in opening up the world of work to disadvantaged pupils in a practical way in order to help them lay the foundations for their careers.”

Le Réseau has been working consistently to build closer ties between business and education since 2007. Underpinned by a network of 82 companies and 600 partner schools, it puts in place practical initiatives to help broaden career choices for disadvantaged young people. Everyday, Le Réseau takes concrete action to promote equal opportunities and professional equality and to lower dropout rates at its partner schools.

http://lereseau.asso.fr