French supermarket chain Carrefour is back in Bulgaria after a nearly ten-year hiatus, according to local media reports.
News portal Capital reported that last month, the retailer opened two stores in Sofia in the TSUM (Central Department Store) and on Al. Malinov Blvd, replacing a previous Parkmart store and offering a more compact format compared to Carrefour's previous presence in the country.
Both stores boast a selection of over 8,000 SKUs. Of this total, around 300 are French products under Carrefour's private label brands, which is set to increase to 700 to 800 SKUs in time, according to the report.
The TSUM location offers an additional perk – a dedicated coffee area developed in collaboration with Cafemag.
Carrefour's previous closure in Bulgaria stemmed from financial difficulties faced by its former Greek franchise operator Marinopoulos.
Retail Partner
This time, Carrefour has partnered with Greece’s Retail & More, which is part of the AVE group.
Retail & More, in turn, has granted sub-franchise rights to Bulgaria's Parkmart Holding, which also manages the Parkmart and Aldo supermarket chains, and will be responsible for the day-to-day operations of Carrefour in Bulgaria.
The initial wave of Carrefour stores will leverage existing Parkmart locations (six stores in Sofia, Varna, and Burgas) and seasonal Aldo supermarkets (in Black Sea resorts, Bansko, and Borovets).
Smaller stores, spanning 200 to 500 square metres, will be branded as Carrefour Express, while larger ones will operate as Carrefour Market.
Store Rebranding
By year-end, around 25 Parkmart and Aldo locations will be rebranded as Carrefour outlets. The Parkmart brand will remain with a more luxurious shopping experience in one Varna location. Additionally, two new Carrefour stores are planned for Plovdiv and Varna.
Looking ahead, the team aims to leverage Parkmart's expertise in online sales and integrate online shopping services through the Carrefour app.
