Carrefour’s global format developments | Progresiv
After setting out its plans to launch different trials for its hypermarkets, Carrefour France has opened its first low-cost-focused ‘Essentiel’ store in Avignon. The store puts a greater focus on price, shrunk its sales area, reduced the number of SKUs it carries, especially in non-food, by between 15% and 30%, and has cut back on the way it presents products to shoppers. This has seen the store use metal shelving to display products for many categories, except for organic, which Carrefour has retained in its more traditional look and feel. 
Following a successful trial at 11 Carrefour hypermarkets across four cities in China, Carrefour has signed an agreement with electronics retailer Gome. Carrefour and Gome said the trial had led to ‘double-digit growth in like-for-like store sales’.
The tie-up will see the latter open 200 shop-in-shops in Carrefour’s hypermarkets by the end of July 2019. The retailers said Gome will take between 300 sq. m and 500 sq. m in Carrefour’s hypermarkets, where it will stock home appliances, smart devices and other consumer electronic products. Under the agreement, Carrefour will manage the product promotion and marketing of the ranges, while Gome will supply knowledge on appliances and consumer electronics, logistics and customer services.
Carrefour Belgium has signed a long-term agreement with Medi-Market that will see the latter provide health and wellness products in the former’s hypermarkets. Depending on the Carrefour store Medi-Market will flex what is added, but Carrefour’s ranges will be supplemented where demand for Medi-Market’s products is already high and Carrefour has available space.
Carrefour and Medi-Market said the roll out would occur in phases. In the initial plan shop-in-shops with health and wellness products will be opened, while later Medi-Market will aim to open pharmacies.
Following the successful trial of a convenience store opened 24 hours a day, Carrefour is looking to extend the offer to more locations. The trial at a Carrefour City in the 7th arrondissement of Paris builds on the positive response to the service in Belgium and Italy, where it has already been made available.
Carrefour Proximity’s executive director, Alexandre de Palmas, has said the retailer ‘would like to eventually have 24-hour stores in Paris and major cities, and be recognized for this service’. To support this aim the retailer is aiming to open 220 convenience stores by 2022 to grow its presence closer to shoppers. (retailanalysis.igd.com)
