Carrefour SA and electronics retailer Fnac Darty SA are discussing an alliance to pool their purchasing of electronic products in France, according to a Dec. 1 report by French broadcaster BFM TV.
The report, which did not cite sources, said discussions have been going on "for a few months" and that a deal could be unveiled in January 2018.
Carrefour did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment from S&P Global Market Intelligence.
French retail giant Carrefour is scheduled to present a restructuring plan Jan. 23 and is due to report fourth-quarter 2017 sales Jan. 17.
Carrefour had been expected to report details of its transformation before the end of 2017, but the date has been pushed back into 2018. News that the timetable had slipped was first reported by BFM Business.
Joint purchasing of electronic products would help Carrefour and Fnac Darty to secure better terms from their suppliers. Carrefour's French rival Groupe Casino, which operates more than 10,000 stores in France under banners that include Monoprix, Casino and Géant, has a similar deal with furniture and homeware appliances retailer Conforama, a unit of Steinhoff International Holdings NV.
Alexandre Bompard, CEO of Carrefour, was hired from Fnac Darty. He succeeded Georges Plassat on July 18 but remains a director of Fnac Darty.
