France: Auchan Retail job protection plan ruled invalid due to lack of consultation with trade unions

As Auchan Retail moves ahead with plans to cut its store floor space by 25%, the Lille Administrative Court on 23 September annulled its job protection plan (PSE). The retailer, whose like-for-like sales fell by 2.8% last year to €31.7 billion and by a further 1.6% in the first half of this year, had unveiled the plan in November 2023. It targeted 2,389 positions—around 4% of the company’s French workforce—mostly in support and store roles. The plan had been signed in March by the CFDT, CFTC an