Spanish group Dia joins the new generation Horizon International service platform

A platform with a clear international dimension

Horizon International brings together players that share a new vision of international cooperation with suppliers, by offering, for instance, international services for major international suppliers, drawing on their complementary geographic locations, or by assisting SMEs in their international development. The multi-level trade alliance is comprising activities of different retail formats as well as wholesale activities including delivery operations.

A platform with an outward-looking ambition

Dia's arrival will give Horizon International added clout, diversity and international presence. Dia will also bring its hard discount expertise, its strong market positions, particularly in Spain, Portugal and South America, and its purchasing capacity for 7.400 sales outlets. Leading Horizon International to be one of the top tier international alliances with the largest geographical footprint: suppliers and customers in more than 40 countries across Europe, Asia and South America will benefit from the extended cooperation.

The choice of Dia to join the new generation alliance underpins Horizon International's original approach: With Dia, the partners are adding more complementary geographic locations to the global network and displaying their ambition to develop collaborative, balanced and innovative negotiations that take the interest of all players into account, whether they are consumers or manufacturers.

Going to market is subject to approvals of relevant competition authorities.

About Auchan Retail
Among the 5 most internationalized food banners in the world and located in 17 countries, Auchan Retail (with net sales of €52bn in 2017) combines all the food retail formats with 3,778 outlets under banners (hypermarkets, supermarkets and ultra-proximity), extended by the e-commerce and drive in certain countries. To build a conquering and modern business, Auchan Retail focuses on clients by offering them discount prices, variety and diversity of offering, quality of service, adaptation to local markets, consideration of their multi-channel purchasing behaviors. 35th employer in the world, the firm has 351,107 employees. www.auchan-retail.com

About Casino Group
Casino Group is a well-established and key player in the French retail industry as well as a leader in the global food retail market, with more than 12,000 stores worldwide - in France, Latin America and in the Indian Ocean region. The Group has built up a portfolio of strong, dynamic and complementary banners, thanks to its workforce of over 220,000 people driven by a passion for retail and customer service, generating consolidated net sales of €38bn in 2017. In France, the Group successfully implemented its multi-format, multi-brand and multi-channel model by leveraging its large network of hypermarkets (Géant), supermarkets (Casino), urban supermarkets (Monoprix, Franprix, Leader Price), convenience stores (Casino Shop, Vival, Spar, Leader Price Express) and the French e-commerce leader Cdiscount. The Group is notably present in Latin America: N°1 in Brazil with GPA and Via Varejo and in Colombia with Grupo Exito. In all of its host countries, the Casino Group focuses its development on the formats with the highest potential and ability to adapt in order to meet customer needs, both today and in the future. www.groupe-casino.fr

About METRO
METRO is a leading international specialist in wholesale and food retail. The company operates in 35 countries and employs more than 150,000 people worldwide. In financial year 2016/17, METRO generated sales of approximately €37 billion. The company provides custom solutions to meet the regional and international needs of its wholesale and retail customers. With its sales brands METRO/MAKRO Cash & Carry and Real as well as delivery services and digitisation initiatives, METRO sets the standards for tomorrow: for customer focus, digital solutions and sustainable business models.

About DIA
Distribuidora Internacional de Alimentación (DIA) is an international retailer of food products, household goods, cosmetics and health items. It is listed on the Madrid stock exchange and is included in the Ibex 35, the benchmark index for the Spanish stock market. It reported €10,334 million in sales in 2017 and boasts 7,388 stores in the countries in which it operates: Spain, Portugal, Brazil and Argentina. www.diacorporate.com