The French group Casino announced on Monday the signing of a strategic partnership with the Moroccan company H&S Invest Holding, with plans to open 210 Franprix and Monoprix stores in Morocco by 2035. This alliance is part of Casino's new international expansion strategy, which relies on franchising to boost its brands' presence abroad. The group, which also owns Vival and the online retailer CDiscount, aims to capitalize on the popularity of its local convenience store brands. H&S Invest Holding, described as a «Moroccan multi-business group specializing in the life economy», sees this partnership as a way to diversify its retail division. According to its president, Moncef Belkhayat, the first stores are expected to open in 2026, with the goal of creating over 1,000 direct and indirect jobs across the Kingdom by 2030. The development of the Franprix and Monoprix brands is expected to invigorate the local retail landscape and meet the growing demand for quality and convenience. From Casino's perspective, the partnership represents a significant opportunity. «This partnership is fully aligned with our international development strategy through franchising», said Philippe Palazzi, the group's CEO, in a statement. He believes the local presence and strong operational expertise of H&S Invest Holding will enable the rapid rollout of an efficient store network, adapted to the evolving consumption habits of Moroccans. Controlled by Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky, the Casino group operates in over 20 countries and has 472 franchised stores outside mainland France, accounting for 3.5% of its 2024 revenue. Despite this international footprint, the group recorded a 5% drop in sales in the first quarter of 2025, with net sales down to 2 billion euros.
