Both operators are involved in the food retail sector and own retail chains with nationwide coverage. Moldretail Group owns the Linella, Cip Market, Bravo and Fidesco chains. In turn, Fourchette-M owns the Fourchette supermarket chain and small To-To markets.
As noted by the Competition Council, the authorization of the concentration was given with reservations. The reason is the risks that such a transaction may entail, especially with regard to agricultural suppliers.
For example, the Council found that, as a result of the concentration, Moldretail Grup would gain a dominant position in five geographical zones where Fourchette and To-To outlets are located. It also identified a risk of discontinuation of suppliers involved only in the Fourchette-M chain.
That is why Moldretail Grup set a number of conditions, compliance with which will be monitored by the Competition Council. Thus, the company undertook to sell five stores in Chisinau and Codru within six months. These outlets must be operated and managed by another independent company. The buyer has also committed to maintain commercial relations with the current suppliers of Fourchette-M. Thus, they will be able to continue working with the buyer’s stores for at least three years after the transaction.
The Board has undertaken to monitor these commitments to ensure that the transaction does not affect competition and suppliers’ access to the market.
It should be noted that Moldretail Grup is the largest player on the Moldovan retail market: it has the Linella chain, which has 180 stores across the country. Last year, its sales revenues amounted to a record 11.6 billion lei, which ensured leadership among all Moldovan retailers.
Fourchette is much more modest: in 2024, it ranked last in the top 10 chains with revenues of 0.56 billion lei
