Carmila – Strategic Direction and Key Challenges for FACT

Carmila and Carrefour: A reaffirmed partnership and increased liquidity

Financial news in early June was marked by the sale of 7% of Carmila's capital by its historical shareholder, Carrefour. When asked about the impact of this operation, Marie Cheval was particularly reassuring and positive. Far from being a withdrawal, this move improves the stock's liquidity, a point closely monitored by investors.

"This has no impact on Carmila’s strategy, which is not changing at all," she stated. Carrefour retains 30% of the capital and remains the reference shareholder. According to the CEO, this sale—carried out successfully with a limited discount—demonstrates the market's appetite for the property company. The operational agreements between the retail giant and its real estate arm remain intact, guaranteeing continued shared value creation.

Integration of Galimmo and a focus on “Sustainable Growth”

Beyond shareholding, Carmila is accelerating on the ground. The recently finalized integration of Galimmo represents a major growth lever. With 51 new sites to manage, teams are mobilized to deploy Carmila’s service platform and extract value from this new portfolio.

The company's roadmap remains guided by its strategic plan, "Building Sustainable Growth." Marie Cheval detailed the three pillars supporting this vision:

Asset Transformation: Working on the merchandising mix and developing agile projects.
Asset Rotation: A dynamic policy of divesting mature assets to reinvest in new opportunities.
Environmental Responsibility: An ambitious decarbonization trajectory and a commitment to strengthening urban mixity around commercial sites.

FACT in battle order: “Retail is an experience”

In her capacity as President of FACT, Marie Cheval used SIEC 2025 to send a strong message to the profession. This 20th-anniversary edition of the trade show serves as a gathering for the entire industry. To mark the occasion, the federation unveiled its new communication campaign entitled "Retail is an experience" (Le commerce, ça se vit).

The objective is clear: to defend a vision of retail that goes beyond simple transactions. In the face of digitalization, FACT promotes the "retail of places and links." "It’s where we meet Santa Claus, where we have romantic encounters," Marie Cheval recalled with emotion. This campaign aims to highlight the sector's local roots, social bonds, and economic importance regarding employment.

The existential challenge: the urgency of fairness against Chinese e-commerce

The climax of the intervention concerned the threats weighing on the sector. While administrative simplification and the monthly collection of rents remain important technical subjects, the real danger identified is the invasion of Chinese e-commerce platforms (such as Shein or Temu).

Marie Cheval did not mince her words, calling the situation an "existential risk." She denounced a total lack of competitive equity. "More than two-thirds of the products on these platforms do not respect European standards," she declared indignantly. While a physical French retailer would face immediate administrative closure for failing to meet standards, these platforms operate with total impunity.

For FACT, the absolute priority is therefore political: obtaining strict regulation so that all actors, whether physical or digital, are subject to the same rules of the game, regarding both product safety and environmental standards.

Key Takeaways

Marie Cheval’s intervention at SIEC 2025 outlines a sector in full mutation. On one hand, property companies like Carmila are adapting, consolidating, and investing in sustainability. On the other, a profession must unite to defend its model against international competition deemed unfair. The message is clear: the future of physical retail will depend on innovation, but also on a fierce regulatory battle.