Technology helps to boost Carrefour China profit

Carrefour China has boosted its profit 11-fold according to documents filed in France, where its parent company is based. In China, Carrefour achieved €45 million operating income from its 245 outlets and online business, which it put down to investments in previous years in boosting its operations and profile there.

The company said it has transformed the commercial model of its Le Marche hypermarket chain, and boosted sales online. An investment in technology allowing facial recognition and Scan & Go had particularly paid off.

“China is a retailing laboratory for the world,” said Thierry Garnier, president and CEO of Carrefour China. “For Carrefour, China is a specific market that has helped us to learn and to understand the future.”

At the end of last year, Carrefour opened a flagship on Tmall which is expected to further improve sales.

Globally, Carrefour increased its sales by 1.4 per cent to reach €85 billion.