Who owns Carrefour?
Carrefour
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- Brand origin
- France
- Main production
- Several countries, incl. Spain
Carrefour is a French retail brand that operates supermarkets, hypermarkets, convenience stores, cash and carry outlets, and e-commerce businesses. Carrefour is ultimately owned by Carrefour S.A., a publicly listed French company headquartered in Massy, France.
carrefour.frAbout Carrefour
What is Carrefour?
Carrefour is a French food retail brand and one of the world's large retail groups. Carrefour operates hypermarkets, supermarkets, convenience stores, cash and carry outlets, and online retail services. Carrefour S.A. operates the Carrefour Group from its headquarters in Massy, in the Paris metropolitan area. Carrefour's official website is carrefour.fr. Carrefour's retail business serves consumers through stores and e-commerce channels in markets including France, Spain, Belgium, Poland, Brazil, Argentina, and Romania. Carrefour also operates private-label product ranges and partnerships with agricultural suppliers. Carrefour's 2025 net sales were €82.1 billion, while total revenue was €84.025 billion. Carrefour reported 298,604 employees at the end of 2025.
Who owns Carrefour?
Carrefour is ultimately owned by Carrefour S.A., according to Made O'Meter's ownership data verified on 13 September 2026. Carrefour S.A. is the publicly listed company that operates the Carrefour Group and is headquartered in France. Carrefour was listed on the French stock exchange in 1970 to finance its expansion. Carrefour S.A. is therefore the ultimate corporate owner of the Carrefour retail brand, rather than a private individual or a separate American company. Carrefour's ownership structure has changed over time through corporate growth and mergers. The most significant change was the combination with Promodès, which was authorized by the European Commission in 2000. That transaction brought the Carrefour and Promodès businesses together under the Carrefour Group.
Where does Carrefour come from?
Carrefour comes from Annecy, France, where the business was created in 1959. Marcel Fournier, who owned a novelty shop, met the Badin-Defforey family, a grocery wholesaler based in Lagnieu. The Fournier, Badin, and Defforey families established Carrefour Supermarchés on 11 July 1959. Carrefour first tested self-service retail in a 200-square-metre store. In June 1960, Carrefour opened an 850-square-metre supermarket at the crossroads of Avenue Parmelan and Avenue André Theuriet in Annecy. The name Carrefour refers to this location because carrefour is the French word for crossroads. Carrefour opened a second store in Cran-Gevrier, in the Annecy suburbs, in April 1963. On 15 June 1963, Carrefour opened France's first hypermarket in Sainte-Geneviève-des-Bois. The store offered 2,500 square metres of self-service retail space, low prices, and 400 free parking spaces. Carrefour created its first quality agricultural supply partnerships in 1963. These partnerships became known as Carrefour Quality Lines. Carrefour also began selling plain-packaged, unbranded products in 1963 through a range called produits libres. Carrefour introduced an organic retail product milestone in the same year by selling Boule Bio organic bread. Carrefour created its red, white, and blue diamond logo in 1966 for the opening of its hypermarket in Vénissieux near Lyon.
What products does Carrefour make?
Carrefour sells food, household goods, personal-care products, and other consumer products through its retail network and online channels. Carrefour also sells products under its own retail labels. The company's first unbranded private-label range, produits libres, began in 1963 and used plain packaging. Carrefour later developed own-brand ranges covering grocery, fresh food, household products, and other retail categories. Carrefour's private-label products are sold alongside products made by other consumer-goods companies. Carrefour Quality Lines connect the retailer with agricultural suppliers for selected food products. Carrefour's organic retail history includes Boule Bio organic bread, which Carrefour sold in 1963. Carrefour's stores also use several retail formats, including hypermarkets, supermarkets, convenience stores, cash and carry outlets, and soft-discount stores. The exact product selection varies by country, store format, and online market.
Is Carrefour a French or American brand?
Carrefour is a French brand, not an American brand. Carrefour was founded in Annecy, France, in 1959, and Carrefour S.A. is headquartered in Massy, France. Carrefour began international expansion from France, first entering Spain under the Pryca banner and then entering Brazil in 1975. Carrefour's international presence does not change the brand's French origin or the French nationality of its ultimate owner. Carrefour's name is also French, referring to a crossroads.
How did Carrefour become a global retailer?
Carrefour became an international retailer through expansion into Spain, Brazil, and other markets, followed by its combination with Promodès. Carrefour began international expansion with Spain under the Pryca banner. Carrefour entered Brazil in 1975, which Carrefour identifies as the beginning of its geographic development outside France. Promodès was created in 1961 by the Duval-Lemonnier and Halley families, two Normandy wholesale families. On 30 August 1999, Carrefour launched a public exchange offer for Promodès shares. The Carrefour and Promodès businesses were combined after European Commission authorization in 2000. The merger created the world's second-largest retailer at that time, with 240,000 employees and more than 9,000 stores. Promodès brought additional retail operations and banners into the combined group. Carrefour's subsequent international development created a retail network spanning Europe, Latin America, and other regions.
Where is Carrefour made and sold?
Carrefour products are sold through Carrefour stores and online services in the countries where Carrefour operates, but Carrefour does not manufacture every product sold under the Carrefour name. Carrefour is primarily a retailer and sources products from agricultural suppliers, food producers, and other manufacturers. Carrefour's own-label products can therefore be produced by different suppliers and at different sites depending on the product and market. Carrefour Quality Lines are supply partnerships for selected agricultural products. Carrefour's retail operations include France, Spain, Belgium, Poland, Brazil, Argentina, and Romania, among other markets documented by Carrefour's group materials. Product availability and manufacturing origin vary by country and product category. The product packaging or local Carrefour website is the appropriate source for the manufacturing country of a particular item.
How large is Carrefour?
Carrefour reported €82.1 billion in net sales and €84.025 billion in total revenue for 2025. Carrefour's 2025 results presentation reported 298,604 employees at year end, according to the 2025 annual-report information. Carrefour's 2025 group sales including VAT amounted to €91.484 billion. Carrefour's retail formats include hypermarkets, supermarkets, convenience stores, cash and carry outlets, and soft-discount stores. Carrefour's geographic development began in France and expanded internationally, with Brazil entering the group's international history in 1975. Carrefour's scale has also changed through acquisitions, store transfers, and disposals, so store counts and country coverage can change between reporting years.
What is Carrefour's market position?
Carrefour describes itself as one of the world's leading food retailers. The Carrefour and Promodès merger created the world's second-largest retailer in 2000, with more than 9,000 stores and 240,000 employees at that time. Carrefour competes through multiple retail formats rather than through hypermarkets alone. These formats include large hypermarkets, supermarkets, convenience stores, cash and carry outlets, soft-discount stores, and e-commerce. Carrefour's principal competitive markets include food retail in France and other European countries, as well as Latin American markets such as Brazil and Argentina. Carrefour's market position varies by country and retail format.
Frequently asked questions about Carrefour
Who is the parent company of Carrefour?
- Carrefour S.A. is the parent company and ultimate owner of Carrefour. Carrefour S.A. is a publicly listed company headquartered in France.
When was Carrefour founded?
- Carrefour was founded in 1959 in Annecy, France. The Fournier, Badin, and Defforey families established Carrefour Supermarchés on 11 July 1959.
Who founded Carrefour?
- Carrefour was founded by Marcel Fournier together with the Badin and Defforey families. Marcel Fournier owned a novelty shop in Annecy, while the Badin-Defforey family operated a grocery wholesale business in Lagnieu.
Is Carrefour the same company as Promodès?
- Carrefour and Promodès were separate businesses before their combination. Carrefour launched a public exchange offer for Promodès shares on 30 August 1999, and the merger was authorized by the European Commission in 2000.
What was Carrefour's first hypermarket?
- Carrefour opened France's first hypermarket on 15 June 1963 in Sainte-Geneviève-des-Bois. The store offered 2,500 square metres of self-service retail space and 400 free parking spaces.
Does Carrefour sell organic products?
- Yes, Carrefour has sold organic products. Carrefour's documented organic retail milestone was the sale of Boule Bio organic bread in 1963.
Does Carrefour manufacture its own products?
- Carrefour is primarily a retailer, although it sells products under Carrefour private labels. Carrefour's own-label products are made through suppliers and manufacturers, so the manufacturing location depends on the individual product.
Why is Carrefour called Carrefour?
- Carrefour is named after the location of its early store at a crossroads in Annecy. Carrefour is the French word for crossroads.
Sources: carrefour.com: history, carrefour.com: histoire, carrefour.com: Carrefour FY 2025 Presentation 3.pdf, en.wikipedia.org, recrute.carrefour.fr, fr.wikipedia.org, carrefour.com: Press release Carrefour Q4+FY 2025.pdf, encyclopedia.com, carrefour.com: Carrefour registration document 2015 EN.pdf, carrefour.com: Carrefour registration document 2016 EN 0.pdf, carrefour.com: group, carrefour.com: Document d'enregistrement universel 2023 (PDF) 7.pdf, carrefour.com: carrefour 2017 registration document 1.pdf, carrefour.com: ddr 2018 version anglaise vdef 100519.pdf, grocerynews.org, carrefour.com: docderefveng2016access.pdf, carrefour.com: Carrefour registration document 2013 EN 0.pdf, carrefour.com: Carrefour 2020 Universal Registration Document.pdf
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