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Turning regulation into business opportunities: A brief history of French food mass retailing (1949–2015)

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  • Adam Dewitte
  • Sebastian Billows
  • Xavier Lecocq

Abstract

The French retail market stands out among its European counterparts as being more concentrated. Relative to its neighbors, it has a higher number of large stores, such as hypermarkets. This article explains the origins of this market structure by assessing the impact of regulation on the French food retail industry between 1949 and 2015. Despite legislation aimed at curtailing their growth, retailers were able to circumvent legal constraints. Over the period considered, three ‘regulation-adaptation’ loops are described. Retailers’ responses to regulatory regimes affected both their bargaining mechanisms with suppliers and the business models they used to sell their products. By turning regulation into business opportunities, French retailers have managed to create a powerful oligopolistic industry, and are now among the largest retail groups in the world.

Suggested Citation

  • Adam Dewitte & Sebastian Billows & Xavier Lecocq, 2018. "Turning regulation into business opportunities: A brief history of French food mass retailing (1949–2015)," Business History, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 60(7), pages 1004-1025, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:bushst:v:60:y:2018:i:7:p:1004-1025
    DOI: 10.1080/00076791.2017.1384465
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    Cited by:

    1. María D. De-Juan-Vigaray & Ana I. Espinosa Seguí, 2019. "Retailing, Consumers, and Territory: Trends of an Incipient Circular Model," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 8(11), pages 1-15, October.

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