The French supermarket chain Carrefour has announced that it is keeping all strategic options open, including full or partial divestment, for non-priority countries such as Belgium.
The company stated this during the presentation of its new strategic plan, which prioritises key markets: France, Spain, and Brazil.
For other countries where Carrefour operates, including Belgium, Poland, and Argentina, the company plans to adopt a "dynamic asset management” approach.
Carrefour confirmed it will continue striving to improve operational performance in these markets while remaining open to options ranging from growth to full or partial monetisation.
The company’s future decisions will be guided by a single goal: maximising value creation.
Massive cuts
Carrefour aims to achieve €1 billion in annual savings by 2030 under its newly unveiled strategic plan.
The French retailer intends to transform 10 hypermarkets into specialists in fresh produce and discount retailing, while also investing in artificial intelligence (AI) developments.
Its savings programme includes merchant purchasing improvements, aided by a partnership with Coopérative U and Concordis, as well as streamlining operations at headquarters and boosting productivity through AI.
Following in the footsteps of American retail giant Walmart, Carrefour announced a major industrial partnership with Vusion. This initiative involves investing over €150 million to implement electronic labels, connected rails, and cameras across hypermarkets and supermarkets in France.
Carrefour highlighted that automating repetitive tasks, such as labelling and detecting stock shortages, will significantly improve productivity. Freed hours will be redirected towards enhancing customer service, while also contributing to structural cost reductions.
The retailer is launching a significant campaign focused on fresh products, which includes converting hypermarkets into outlets specialised in fresh produce and discount goods. Carrefour plans for 10 such stores by 2030, seven of which will be operated through franchise agreements.
In addition, Carrefour will expand the Match brand, acquired from the Louis Delhaize group in 2024, with a fresher-focused business model. By 2030, it aims to increase the number of Match stores by 40%, totalling 160 locations.
Carrefour’s CEO, Alexandre Bompard, described the strategy as "ambitious and radically growth-driven," highlighting enhanced profitability as a key goal.
This is Carrefour's third strategic plan under Bompard’s leadership since 2017. It emphasises customer acquisition, store performance improvement, and capitalising on the company’s lead in AI, while focusing the group's efforts on core markets in France, Spain, and Brazil.
In Belgium, Carrefour was subject to a large boycott in recent years over the supermarket chain's franchise agreement with Electra Consumer Products and its subsidiary Yeinot Bitan, an Israeli supermarket chain with branches in the occupied Palestinian territories.
