The move, which follows an initial co-operation between Casino’s upmarket Monoprix supermarket chain and Amazon in Paris, could reportedly re-ignite speculation of a bigger deal later on.

An Amazon spokeswoman said it had a policy of not commenting on market speculation. Amazon’s purchase of bricks-and-mortar U.S. food retailer Whole Foods Market last year has raised speculation it could buy a European food retailer.

The extended partnership comes as Casino is selling assets and cutting debt to try to allay investor concerns over its finances and those of parent company Rallye.

The deal, unveiled on Tuesday, will see Amazon lockers installed in 1,000 locations across France in nine of Casino’s brands, including Monoprix, Monop, Geant, Hyper Casino, Casino Supermarche, Leaderprice, Viva and Spar by the end of the year. The lockers store Amazon products to be picked up by customers.

Tina Schuler, CEO of LeaderPrice, Casino Supermarches, Geant Casino and Casino Proximites, told a conference call that the deal - whose financial terms were not disclosed - will help Casino “boost traffic and revenues in e-commerce and in stores”.

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