FRANCE: Carrefour to renovate the Shopi convenience store network

French food retailing giant Carrefour has developed a new initiative to attract younger clientele. The group managed by Daniel Bernard, which grew around the concept of the hypermarket, has now begun targeting smaller shops. Two years ago Carrefour made its first move in this direction when it acquired a majority stake in Comptoirs Modernes (which runs supermarkets under the Stoc fascia). Léon Salto, who heads up Carrefour's French operation, explained that the group is also taking a look at its 'Huit à Huit' ('eight till eight') chain in a bid to revitalise its convenience store operations: "Today big brands and chains have changed, hoping to captivate a younger consumer with concept marketing. They are also successful because they are close by, easy to get to." After working on such new concepts in its city centre shops, which now boast express tills and a range of food-to-go, Shopi has decided to turn its attention to rural areas. These will be organised in a way that encourages both daily 'top-up' stops and weekly visits from customers, including a grocery and a drugstore. Some will open late in the evening in rural areas. Over five years, the group will overhaul some 600 stores at an average investment of FF1m. Revenue from the convenience stores reaches FF20bn a year, with FF10bn coming from the Shoppi format.