Retail
- Carrefour
The Carrefour company was created in France in 1959. The first Carrefour hypermarket opened in 1963, in Sainte-Genevieve-des-bois. In 1999, Carrefour merged with Promodes, and became the leader of the retail business in Europe, the second largest company worldwide.
Over the past 40 years, the Carrefour group has grown to become one of the world's leading distribution groups. The world's second-largest retailer and the largest in Europe, the group currently operates four main grocery store formats: hypermarkets, supermarkets, hard discount and convenience stores. The Carrefour group currently has over 12,500 stores, either company-operated or franchises.
An international retailer
A pioneering entrant in countries such as Brazil (1975) and China (1995), the group currently operates in three major markets: Europe, Latin America and Asia. With a presence in 29 countries, over 52% of group turnover derives from outside France. The group sees strong potential for further international growth in the future, particularly in such large national markets as China, Brazil, Indonesia, Poland and Turkey.
Promoting the growth of local economies
Wherever it has a presence, Carrefour is actively committed to promoting local economic development. Since retail activities are all about contact with people, the group consistently emphasizes local recruitment plus management and staff training on the job wherever they work.
Typically, the Carrefour group will be one of the leading private employers in any country where it operates. Naturally, this is the case for France, where the group was originally founded, but it is also true of such countries as Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Italy and Greece. The group also seeks to support local suppliers, with some 90-95% of the products on its shelves sourced locally, depending on the country.
