Oil major Shell is said to be exiting the French retail market, selling off its petrol-station operations there.
Dublin-based DCC Energy, which recently agreed to sell Certas to private-equity investors, is reportedly buying the business, according to Reuters.
Shell currently has around 60 filling stations in France, most located along autoroutes. While the firm does not own the forecourts or the land from which they operate, it supplies their fuel and shop stocks and manages site maintenance.
The selloff is said to be being made so Shell can streamline its operations and boost investor returns by focussing on its core markets, including the North America and the UK.
Financial publication Les Echos details that Shell made an operating profit of $127.5m (£95.5m) from its French operations in 2025, while rumours that it was planning to exit the market there have been circulating since May this year.
Now, Reuters details that it has seen documents confirming that DCC is set to buy Shell’s French retail arm and “related transport-fuels services”.
Shell has been approached for comment.
