Carrefour

Carrefour is a French-based company. Carrefour in French means, Crossroads. The Carrefour group has grown to become one of the world’s leading distribution groups. The world’s second largest retailer (after Walmart) and the largest in Europe, the group currently operates four main grocery store formats: hypermarkets (choice and quality for everyone); supermarkets (the prices people want, close to home); hard discount (groceries at low, low prices); Convenience stores (just what you need, right next door). The Carrefour group has over 15,000 stores, either company-operated or franchises. 

Board
Accessed July 2012:


 * Georges Plassat - chair
 * Sébastien Bazin - Vice-Chairman of the Board,
 * René Abate
 * Bernard Arnault
 * Nicolas Bazire
 * Jean-Laurent Bonnafé
 * Thierry Breton
 * René Brillet
 * Amaury de Seze
 * Charles Edelstenne
 * Mathilde Lemoine
 * Anne-Claire Taittinger


 * Mr Robert Halley is Honarary President of the Board of Directors.

History
Carrefour was created in 1959 by the Fournier and Defforey families. In 1960, it opened its first supermarket in Annecy, Haute-Savoie. The following year, the LLC Promodis the forerunner of Promodes, was created through the merger of two wholesaler families from Normandy, managed by Paul-Auguste Halley and Leonor Duval-Lemonnier. In 1963, Carrefour invents a new store concept: the hypermarket, which was opened in Sainte-Genevieve-des-bois, and offered both food and non food items. Years and Locations of Carrefour's openings. 
 * 1969: Carrefour opens its first hypermarket outside of France, in Belgium.
 * 1973: Carrefour opens its first hypermarket in Spain under the store Pryca
 * 1975: Brazil
 * 1982: Argentina
 * 1989: Carrefour opens its first Asian hypermarket in Taiwan
 * 1991: Greece
 * 1993: Italy & Turkey
 * 1994: Mexico & Malaysia
 * 1996: Thailand, Korea, & Hong Kong
 * 1997: Singapore & Poland
 * 1998: Chile, Colombia & Indonesia
 * 2000: Japan

Carrefour's Colombian History
When top executives of Carrefour arrived in Colombia in 1997, they understood that Colombia, with the third largest population in Latin America, and with a relatively stable economy was a favorable market to offer its services and to expand the business. Thus in 1998, after various studies, Carrefour opened its first Superstore in Bogotá, on street 80, in the western part of the city. Since that moment the company has grown enormously, opening 46 stores in 25 cities of Colombia in less than a decade. The first 831 employees have become more than 8,000. In 1999, Carrefour launched its social policy about its 4 axels: education, no exclusion, sustainable development and environmental protection. Carrefour also opened the first Hypermarket outside Bogotá: Valle de Lili near the city of Cali. In 2001, Carrefour changed its slogan from “Carrefour qué diferencia!” (Carrefour what a difference!) to “Carrefour Chévere” (Carrefour Fantastic). 

Corporate Accountability
Carrefour Apologises Over Deaths (December 2007) Carrefour apologizes after three people died in a stampede in one of its supermarkets in China. 

Labor
The Disabled Thrive on their Abilities In Malaysia, McDonald’s and Carrefour hires many people with disabilities. The human resource direction for Carrefour states that hiring is based on competency, skills and behavior. The workers interviewed had positive things to say about their experiences at Carrefour.

Report: Labour rights in the Supply Chain and Corporate Social Responsibility The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) released a report from a fact-finding mission in Bangladesh. The mission took place in the framework of the FIDH and Carrefour cooperation on human rights in the supply chain. The objective was to assess Carrefour’s efforts to deal with labor rights issues in Bangladesh. The report found that the minimum wage was raised in October 2006, but that there were still major labor rights violations including no freedom of association, no living wage, no access to effective remedies, excessive working hours and inappropriate maternity leave and benefits.

Spectrum Workers Receive First Payments from Compensation Fund: Carrefour still Refusing to Participate The Spectrum garment factory collapsed in 2005 killing 64 and injuring 80 (54 seriously). The fund was created to give US$60,000 to the workers at the factory. Although the factory produced garments for Carrefour, it has refused to pay into the fun to compensate Spectrum families. 

Contact Information
Carrefour Colombia Toll Free: 01-8000-123001 Bogota Telephone: 587 9000

Related Sourcewatch

 * James McCann - former board member
 * Lady Sylvia Jay