Tánaiste announces CDiscount to create 50 new jobs in Dundalk

A European leader in online retail to establish Regional Headquartersfor the UK and Ireland

Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Mary Coughlan TD today (Thursday 18^th June 2009) announced that CDiscount S.A. of Bordeaux, France, a European leader in online retail and the market leader in France, is establishing its Regional Headquarters for the UK and Ireland at the IDA Business and Technology Park, Dundalk, Co. Louth, which will create 50 new jobs over the next two years. IDA Ireland worked closely with CDiscount to attract it to Ireland and continues to assist it in the start-up of the operation.

CDiscount is the online trading division of Groupe Casino of France, one of the world’s largest retailers with global revenues of over €28.7 billion. Groupe Casino’s retail brands include Monoprix, Casino Supermarkets, Libertad, Big C, Gẽant and Leaderprice. With over 10,000 stores, it operates in Europe, South America, North America and Asia and employs over 200,000 people in fifteen countries.

The Dundalk Headquarters will operate as one of two distribution centres for the UK and Ireland and also as the business support and management centre with activities including finance, marketing, supply chain management, and IT. The new business is a joint venture between CDiscount SA and NCBH Limited, an investment company owned by RIG Investments, a leading Dutch Venture Capital House and Ciaran O’Donoghue, a well known local entrepreneur in Dundalk. RIG Investments is the investment vehicle run by Dutch television’s ‘Dragons Den’ programme judge, Henk Keilman.

Making the announcement the Tánaiste said “This is excellent news for Dundalk and the whole North-East and demonstrates further the attractiveness of the region for companies seeking a location from which to develop and grow their European business. The efforts in recent years by all parties involved locally in the development of the region as an attractive location for inward investment continues to show excellent results with this latest success. I wish to take this opportunity to wish all the partners involved in this venture, particularly Dundalk’s own Ciaran O’Donoghue, all the best in the start-up and development of the operation.”

CDiscount retails over 60,000 different items across many product sectors from electronics, fashion, sports, DIY, and wine. It built its reputation in France and Germany on low price with superior customer service.

Mr Herve Charle, CDiscount Founder, said “CDiscount are pleased to confirm Dundalk as the Regional Headquarters for this very important phase of our European expansion. We were extremely impressed with the attitude of the Irish Government, and its functional business development arms, in their strong commitment to encouraging entrepreneurial activities and their supportiveness of new business activities. This very much fits with the CDiscount culture throughout Europe. We look forward to establishing CDiscount as an online leader in Ireland and the UK as we are in France.”