Carrefour won a call for tenders launched by France's national railway company SNCF to open 30 grocery stores per year in all French train stations over the next five years. According to trade experts, competitor Monoprix had also been in the running, and Carrefour CEO Alexandre Bompard showed very satisfied to have won the long and complex call for tenders. He expects a lot of visibility and business from these busy locations for Carrefour. NielsenIQ calculated that the yield per m² in stations that see more than 5 million passengers per year reaches 9,581 euros, almost 40% more than traditional proximity (6,852 euros per m²). In addition, retail in crowded areas represents a fantastic opportunity to test new concepts, according to the company.
Stores will be opened under three of Carrefour’s banners. The majority under the Carrefour Express banner, between 80 and 400 m2, with a high share of Carrefour own brand products (40%), fresh products and snacks. The second banner will be Potager City, which Carrefour launched two years ago. It is focused on fruits and vegetables, which account for between 60 and 65% of turnover, and an offer of 500 to 600 items. These small stores, with the look of a slightly chic greengrocer, should very well match with these stations. Some of the stores in small stations will be self-service minimarkets under the Api banner. These stores do not have staff, consumers can enter using a QR code.