Carrefour moves deeper into Africa with Ethiopia franchise deal and West African expansion

ETHIOPIA – Carrefour has agreed to a franchise and supply partnership with Queens Supermarket PLC, part of Midroc Investment Group, paving the way for the launch of Carrefour-branded retail outlets in Ethiopia.

Under the arrangement, Queens Supermarket stores will gradually shift to the Carrefour brand, with the French retailer providing branding rights, merchandise selection and operational systems as part of the transition.

The companies said the first conversions are planned for the first half of 2026, starting with 13 existing outlets, while an expansion roadmap includes the possible addition of 17 more stores by 2028, depending on execution.

The Ethiopia agreement falls under Carrefour’s international franchise programme linked to its Carrefour 2026 strategy, which is overseen by Carrefour International Partnership and focuses on working with local operators rather than direct ownership.

Midroc is expected to run daily retail operations through Queens Supermarket while applying Carrefour’s store standards, logistics processes and sourcing requirements across the network.

The Ethiopian group also said it intends to connect domestically produced goods, including coffee, tea, spices and fresh fruits and vegetables, to Carrefour’s broader supply system where commercial conditions allow.

Carrefour said it currently runs more than 15,000 stores in over 40 countries across several retail formats, and reported global sales of about US$103 billion (EUR 94.6 billion) in 2024.

West Africa developments

The Ethiopia announcement follows reports in December that Carrefour will enter Ghana through a separate franchise agreement with Brands for All Group, owned by businessman Geoffrey Fadoul.

Brands for All, which already operates French brands such as Decathlon and Yves Rocher in Ghana, acquired seven former Shoprite locations after the South African retailer exited the market in November 2025.

Those sites are scheduled to reopen as Carrefour supermarkets by April 2026, with the franchisee also planning to add five more stores by 2028.

Shoprite had been Ghana’s second-largest supermarket operator before its withdrawal, running outlets in Accra, Kumasi and Takoradi.

Carrefour’s move into Ghana, alongside its existing operations in Côte d’Ivoire, has revived discussion about whether the retailer could also target markets such as Togo, Benin and Nigeria, where modern grocery retail remains limited.

Nigeria was previously highlighted by Carrefour in 2014 as a priority market during plans to open 200 stores across sub-Saharan Africa, though economic pressures later led several international chains to scale back.

East Africa presence

In East Africa, Carrefour expanded its Kenyan footprint in September 2025 with the opening of its 30th store at Waris Mall in Ruai, Nairobi.

The 1,500 square metre outlet employs more than 40 people and sources a substantial share of fresh produce from local farmers, reflecting the retailer’s approach in fast-growing urban areas.

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