Docks de France

The Docks de France group is a former French distributor, bought in 1996 by Auchan.

History

1904 : Toulouse and Picard creates the Central Docks Company in Tours, France
1957 : Docks de France settles in the Paris region
1963 : The first French hypermarket opens its doors
1966 : Docks de France opens its first hypermarket under the brand SuperSuma
1964 - 1993 Docks de France buys several regional companies
1968 : Creation of the subsidiary Sabeco in Spain
1969 : Creation of the Mammouth hypermarkets
1978 : Creation of the Lil' Champ Food Stores in the SE United States
1979 : Acquisition of the Picardy Beehive
1982 : Creation of 'Atac
1986 : Creation of the Super Pakbo warehouse stores^[1]
1987 : Acquisition of Économats du Centre
1991 : Shut down of Super Pakbo
1993 : Acquisition of the Alsatian Supermarkets Company
1995 : Equity in a distribution company in Poland
1996 : Auchan Group takeover of Docks de France
1997 : Lil' Champ Food Stores sold to The Pantry
1998 : The Distribution companies: 'Société de Distribution de l'Ouest', 'Société de Distribution du Centre', 'Société de Distribution Alsacienne', 'Société Lyonnaise de Distribution' and 'Société de Distribution la Ruche Picarde' merged with the 'Société de Distribution Parisienne' under the name Atac.
1999 : Reorganisation of the Auchan group
- The hypermarkets Auchan and Mammouth amalgamate under the name of Auchan
- supermarkets and shops of Atac and Eco Service merge with the name of Atac
2005 : Atac supermarkets rebrand as Simply Market