Carrefour expands in Africa with DRC launch, promotes sustainability in Kenya 

CONGO – Carrefour has officially opened its first store in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), marking a significant expansion into the Central African market.  

The store, launched in partnership with local retailer Hyper Psaro, is located in Kinshasa. 

The collaboration will see Hyper Psaro gradually convert its current network of stores into Carrefour-branded outlets. This franchise model has already been implemented by Carrefour in Gabon through a similar arrangement with Prix Import. 

The new Carrefour Kinshasa outlet offers more than 6,300 stock-keeping units (SKUs) covering both food and non-food categories. This development pushes the retailer’s total store count in Africa to nearly 550. 

Hyper Psaro currently operates six stores in the DRC across Kinshasa and Lubumbashi, making it the fourth-largest supermarket operator in the country by revenue. The entry of Carrefour into the DRC fills a significant gap left by Shoprite’s exit in November 2022, which left the country without a major international supermarket chain. 

Healthy living initiative in Kenya 

In Kenya, Carrefour has launched an initiative dubbed “Choose Better,” aimed at encouraging customers to adopt healthier and more sustainable lifestyles.  

The campaign is part of Carrefour’s broader strategy to align with Kenya’s national priorities around public health, food security, and environmental sustainability. 

According to Christophe Orcet, Regional Director – East Africa at Majid Al Futtaim Retail, the initiative focuses on empowering customers through better product labelling and enhanced visibility of locally sourced and eco-friendly products. 

Carrefour’s exit from Italy 

Simultaneously, Carrefour has entered exclusive negotiations with NewPrinces Group to sell its operations in Italy. This move follows a strategic review initiated earlier in the year. The planned sale includes all Carrefour activities in the country. 

Carrefour will continue to operate under its brand in Italy during a transitional period under a license and service agreement.  

As part of the deal, NewPrinces will invest at least €200 million (US$231.9M) to boost the long-term competitiveness of the business. The net impact on Carrefour’s treasury is estimated at -€240 million (US$278.2M). 

In the first half of 2025, Carrefour reported sales of €46.6 billion (US$54B), up from €44.9 billion (US$52B) a year earlier.  

However, the group recorded a net loss of €401 million (US$464.9M), down from a profit of €25 million (US$28.98M) in the same period of 2024. This was partly attributed to the consolidation of Cora & Match. 

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