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Presentation of the Carrefour group
The history of the Carrefour group
It subsequently underwent an ambitious international expansion
Did you know?
programme in Spain, in Greece, in Turkey, in China, in Brazil, in
Argentina, under the banners Ed and Dia in France and Minipreço in
The company’s logo was created in 1966 to mark the
Portugal.
opening of the hypermarket in Vénissieux, near Lyon. It
Carrefour’s development was also reflected by an increase in staff
depicts the first letter of the word Carrefour placed in the
numbers and the Group’s desire, since it was first founded, to
middle of a diamond with the left half coloured red and the
encourage a culture of initiative and promote the personal and
right half coloured blue, and black lines above and below.
professional development of its employees. Since 1967, all employees
The black lines soon disappeared, leaving the C less
have
benefited
from
an
employee-participation
scheme,
visible, almost subliminal.
supplemented at the end of the 1970s by a particularly attractive
In the wake of the events of May
1968, consumer products strove to healthcare and insurance coverage scheme and in 1987 by a
outdo each other in terms of originality, and technology began to profit-sharing agreement.
permeate into every aspect of day-to-day life. As a pioneer, the Group The 1980s brought a wealth of new challenges. Changes in the
had to set up an organisational structure that would enable it to legislative environment and new consumer habits encouraged the
prosper. For that reason, in order to finance its growth, Carrefour was
international development, in Argentina (1982) then in Taiwan
listed on the Paris Stock Exchange on June
16, 1970, a first for the (1989), and the diversification of the product offering: food, apparel,
retail business.
household appliances, hi-fi equipment, financial and insurance
To make its stores even more appealing, the Group created a fuel retail
services, and more. It was in 1980 that Carrefour established the PASS
subsidiary.
financial services company to manage the PASS card launched in 1981
– both a credit card and a tool to encourage customer loyalty. Three
Looking to offer its customers ever cheaper products, Carrefour
years after its launch, 200,000 customers had PASS cards, using them
reinvented the business in 1976 when it decided to sell its own
for more than 4 million transactions. Over the course of the decade,
products. This was the birth of the
“produits
libres”
(unbranded
Carrefour established Tex, its own-brand apparel line, which at the
products) with plain packaging and no branding. They would go on to
time included 450 products, and First Line (later to become Carrefour
revolutionise the consumer products business. From that point on, the
Home), its household appliance, TV and hi-fi equipment brand.
mission of Carrefour teams was not only to negotiate prices and
conditions with the major brands, but also to develop products, select
For its part, Promodès acquired 128 supermarkets from Primistère in
suppliers and guarantee quality.
1988, enabling it to strengthen its position in Paris and the
Île-de-France region. In 1990, the company bought Codec and
Did you know?
reached an agreement with the Arlaud group, three of whose
hypermarkets came under the Continent banner.
The launch of the
“produits libres”
(unbranded products)
That same year, Carrefour purchased the French hypermarket chains
in 1976 surpassed all expectations: consumers turned
Montlaur and Euromarché. The 1990s gave Carrefour an opportunity
them into an absolute triumph. In 1985, they became
to continue to develop its international business, with the Group
“Carrefour products.” By attaching its own brand to the
gaining a foothold in Italy (1993), in China (1995) and in Poland
products that it was selling, Carrefour made its name as a
(1997). In 1996, Promodès acquired 105 Félix Potin stores, and in
label that was genuinely trusted by its customers.
1997, the Catteau company.
At the same time, Carrefour was expanding internationaly and Always keen to innovate, Carrefour introduced the era of organic
exploring new markets: Spain in 1973, followed by Brazil in 1975. In products in the retail sector, presenting in 1992 the
“Boule
Bio”
1977, Promodès established the 8 à Huit banner in France, under
(organic bread) in the bakery department. During the 1990s, Carrefour
which it developed retail in convenience stores: small shops where revolutionised its offering and its stores around a central theme:
customers could pick up extra items quickly and conveniently.
becoming the reference for quality and fresh produce. From that point
on, Carrefour butchers, bakers, pastry chefs and fishmongers
In 1979, the Dia banner was established in Spain, with a first store in
developed, prepared, cut and put together their products in front of
Madrid.
customers. The idea was to demonstrate the professionalism and
expertise of the teams while showcasing the freshness and quality of
the products, in an atmosphere reminiscent of a traditionnal market.
1976
Carrefour launches
the
“produits libres”
1975
First hypermarket
in Brazil (Pinheiros)
1981
Carrefour launches
its own payment card –
the PASS card
1989
First hypermarket
in Asia
(Ta-Shun – Taiwan)
2015 REGISTRATION DOCUMENT
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