Tesco remains a potential bidder for Carrefour's Malaysian stores despite Thai setback

Carrefour is expected to announce, possibly today,  that it has sold its 40 Thai supermarkets to Casino for more than EUR700m, according to the Financial Times.

Tesco, which is the market leader in Thailand and has a history of doing deals with Carrefour, was viewed as a leading contender for the Thai business.

The UK giant was among about six other bidders to submit second-round offers, including Casino and Singapore’s Dairy Farm, as well as Aeon in Japan.

Tesco is said not to have bid as aggressively as some of the other potential purchasers. It is also thought Tesco might not be as advanced as rivals in its discussions over the Malaysian business.

Separately, Tesco workers will be allowed to choose their own working patterns online as part of an experiment the Government hopes could help millions back into the labour market.

All Tesco’s UK 288,8000 employees will be able to use web-based system Slivers of Time to determine their overtime, how long they want to work for, when and at which store. It is designed to help people such as carers who find it difficult to match their availability to set shift patterns.