French retailer Leclerc warns it could cut opening hours to cope with energy shortage

The boss of Leclerc warned on Monday that France's largest food retailer could reduce the opening hours of its stores as part of emergency measures to deal with the risk of power shortages linked to the war in Ukraine. "For this winter we have a crisis scenario where Russia cuts gas supplies," Michel-Edouard Leclerc told France Info radio.

The boss of Leclerc warned on Monday that France's largest food retailer could reduce the opening hours of its stores as part of emergency measures to deal with the risk of power shortages linked to the war in Ukraine.

"For this winter we have a crisis scenario where Russia cuts gas supplies," Michel-Edouard Leclerc told France Info radio. Under that scenario, "We could close some stores during certain hours," he added.

Leclerc heads Les Centres E. Leclerc, a cooperative association of about 600 retailers, which competes against Carrefour and Casino. Its low-price policy has helped it become France's biggest food retailer by market share.