The company's first-half results statement, in which net profit fell 16.8 percent to 558 million euros ($613 million), showed the French company's home market suffered a 3.3 percent decline in organic sales in the second quarter and 4.2 percent for the first half.

Other western European countries, North America and Asia did better.

"After a first half penalized by tough prior-year comparatives, the group will benefit from a more favourable climate in the six months to December 31," it said in a statement.

"France should gradually stabilize," the statement said. "Regarding other Western European countries, the outlook in Germany remains uncertain; the UK and Nordic countries should continue to deliver good growth in the second half, and Spain should continue to improve significantly."

(Reporting by Andrew Callus; Editing by David Holmes)