Agriculture Minister Stefan Krajewski urged a state-backed purchase of Carrefour to build a “national retail market” and strengthen farmers. The Assets Ministry acknowledged the proposal but said any KGS investment must be based on economic calculation and awaits KGS’s recommendations.
KGS ended FY2024/25 with a roughly PLN 600 million (EUR 142 million) loss and lacks borrowing capacity, the text says. Carrefour Polska posted a PLN 53.6 million (EUR 12.7 million) net loss in 2024, with like-for-like sales down 0.7% in Q3 2025.
Analysts cited warn merging two loss-makers could require ongoing subsidies. Including purchase price, debt relief and upgrades, total costs could reach up to PLN 8 billion (EUR 1.9 billion).
Over 60% of Carrefour stores are franchised, meaning the state would mainly buy contracts that franchisees could exit, risking a hollowed-out network.
The text also questions whether a state chain can compete in a price war with Biedronka and Lidl amid a 12.5% rise in promotions, warning of negative margins if KGS pays farmers more while cutting shelf prices. Operational and seasonal supply issues are also flagged.
(jh)
Source: Polskie Radio 24