Carrefour cuts bidders out

Carrefour, the world's second-largest retailer after Wal-Mart, hopes to raise US$1 billion (RM3 billion) from the sale of its assets in Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia, the Journal said citing "people familiar with the matter".

Several companies have gone through to the next round of bidding, set for November, including France's Casino and Thai-owned firms Big C Supercenter PC, Central Group, Berli Jucker and PTT, according to the report.

Carrefour chief executive officer Lars Olofsson said in May that he would consider offers for its assets in markets where it was not first or second, the Journal said, raising the prospect of an auction of its stores in the growing region.

It cut several companies from the bidding process because they had put in low prices, the Journal reported.

Japan's Aeon group acquired Carrefour's Japanese operations in 2005, five years after Carrefour entered Japan.

Tesco, the world's third biggest retailer, had previously declined to comment on the Asian auction, but the British group has been steadily expanding across Southeast Asia.

Carrefour said it made a net profit of ?82 million (RM325 million) in the first half of this year, after a loss in the same period of 2009.

At the results announcement, Olofsson refused to comment on the group's plans in Asia amid speculation that he wants to raise money to fund an ambitious revamp of hypermarkets in Europe