David Mulliez, member of one of the richest families in France, which owns, among others, Auchan, Decathlon and Leroy Merlin: We are in Romania to stay!♦ The Mulliez family is one of the richest families in France and owns, among others, Auchan, Decathlon and Leroy Merlin in Romania.David Mulliez, member of one of the richest families in France – Mulliez, which owns, among others, Auchan, Decathlon and Leroy Merlin -, says that Romania is in the top markets as a family business. And not only that, the local economy still has the potential to grow. «On a local level, we have three main businesses in trade – Decathlon, Auchan and Leroy Merlin. Romania is a small country if we compare it in terms of population or economy to France or Spain, but it is in the top markets for us as a business», he declared. You may also be interested: The Decathlon brand is a leader on the local sports equipment market, with business of almost 1.5 billion lei in 2024. Leroy Merlin is number two on the DIY market, with annual business of almost 3.5 billion lei, according to the latest data. Auchan is one of the biggest actors in the food trade, with over 500 stores and businesses worth about 8 billion lei. So, together, the three companies gather annual business of 13 billion lei (2.5 billion euros). In total, in all markets and all divisions, the Mulliez family has annual business of around 100 billion euros, according to older estimates by the French daily Le Monde. The family also has other businesses in its portfolio, even locally, such as the integrated real estate services company Nhood. They were also present domestically with the fashion brand Kiabi, but also with Norauto (auto parts), but they gave up previously. «We are in Romania to stay!», says David Mulliez, who adds that there is still room for investments under the brands present here. He now came locally on the occasion of the anniversary of two decades of Auchan presence on the domestic market. In fact, his first visit to Bucharest (he has not seen other cities in Romania) took place 20 years ago. Then it came back five years ago. And this week, again. «The changes are amazing. A lot has been built, including in the infrastructure area. And the airport looks different. «Not to mention logistics, Romania has good operations in the field, or that allows us to operate all our retail businesses. Besides, the trade landscape has also changed for the better.»
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