Leclerc

E.Leclerc (informally simply Leclerc) is a French retailers’ cooperative and hypermarket chain established in 1948.

As of 2024, there are 726 E.Leclerc stores nationwide and 112 stores outside of France.  The chain enables semi-independent stores to operate under the Leclerc brand.

Over the years, it has developed several “specialized concepts,” essentially sub-brands, some of which have even been launched as stand-alone superstores dedicated to various thematic areas such as children’s toys, pharmacy, organic products, travel, sports, and more.

The one we’re interested in is “Espace Culturel,” the division that sells books, music, DVDs/Blu-rays, and, of course, comics. It experienced a boom in the 2000s, thanks in part to a very aggressive pricing strategy.

Around this theme, in the late 1970s, a heated debate arose in France. Independent booksellers pushed for fixed book prices, while Fnac and Leclerc argued for price freedom to make culture more accessible. The Lang Law, enacted in 1981, set a maximum 5% discount on books, emphasizing their status as creative works. Leclerc opposed the law, offering illegal discounts and displaying two prices: the Lang price and their own. The dispute reached the European Court in 1985, leading to a slight modification for imported French books. Despite this, Leclerc continued its pricing policy, prompting major publishers to boycott them in 1987. The European Court ultimately upheld the Lang Law in 1988.