Carrefour S.A.
Annual Report 2019

“Our mission is to provide our customers with 
quality services, products and food accessible to all 
across all distribution channels.  
Thanks to the competence of our employees,  
to a responsible and multicultural approach, to our 
broad territorial presence and to our ability to adapt 
to production and consumption modes,  
our ambition is to be the leader of

THE FOOD

TRANSITION 

FOR ALL.ˮ

Annual Report 2019

 
ANNUAL

REPORT 2019

14 June, 2019 —  
Carrefour's Shareholders' Meeting approved the adoption of a "raison 
d'être", which is included in the preamble to the Company's Articles of 
Association. You can read it on the cover of this annual report.

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3

CARREFOUR — ANNUAL REPORT 2019T his annual report comes at a time 

when the COVID-19 pandemic is 
hitting our societies and 
economies hard in every country 
where we operate. In these serious 
and unprecedented 
circumstances, the Carrefour 
group and all its teams are fully 
mobilized to meet our primary 
responsibility: feeding the 
population.

This has been our mission for 60 years. And it is the mission we 
are reinventing through the "Carrefour 2022" plan, by building a 
new model to serve our customers. Last year, this mission was 
enshrined in our Company's Articles of Association and became 
our "raison d'être": to be the leader of the food transition for all. 

It is with this mission at heart that we have met all of our 
objectives, both financial and extra-financial, over the course of 
a 2019 that was rich in many achievements. We have revitalised 
both our food and non-food offer, strengthened our 
distribution channels and the complementarity of our formats, 
and put price competitiveness back at the heart of our 
commercial policy. 
Our solid results make Carrefour a more agile, more digital, 
more resolute company, fully committed to serving its 
customers in the best possible way. Even today, amid this crisis, 
we are actively pursuing our mission. We carry it out with the 
strictest respect for the health of our employees and our 
customers. We tackle it through a joint effort across the entire 
food chain, guaranteeing continuity of supply with our partners 
and supporting our producers. 
We do this in a spirit of responsibility and solidarity, in order to 
support those working on the frontline to tackle the crisis, as 
well as those who are isolated, elderly or frail, and any others 
who most need support. The year 2020, overshadowed by this 
crisis, ushers us into uncertain times. But our Group, backed by 
the exceptional mobilization of its teams and the solid 
foundations it has successfully built in two years of rapid 
transformation, will continue to advance its values and to 
promote a model of growth that is healthy, safe and respectful 
of the environment.

Alexandre Bompard  
— Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

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CARREFOUR — ANNUAL REPORT 2019CARREFOUR TEAMS 
MOBILISED IN THE FACE OF  
THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

An annual report usually describes the activity of the past year. 
But at the time of this publication, the world is in the midst of an 
unprecedented pandemic affecting our economies and 
societies. We would therefore like to pay tribute to the 
exceptional mobilisation of our teams.

PROTECTION OF  
EMPLOYEES AND CUSTOMERS
— The Group immediately implemented strong measures to 
safeguard the health of its employees and customers, which, in 
most cases, anticipated and went beyond the health rules 
recommended by the public authorities in each country. The 
following measures were adjusted daily:
a Barrier gestures and social distancing
a Reinforcement of disinfection and hygiene protocols
a Installation of plexiglass screens at checkouts
a Regular supply of hydroalcoholic gel
a Providing employees with gloves, full-visor caps, masks and 
thermometers
a Queuing at the store entrance in case of crowds
a Ground markers to respect a safe distance
a Specific disinfection protocols and quarantine in case of 
suspected contamination

— The proper application of health, hygiene and safety rules has 
been and continues to be strictly controlled and audited on a 
regular basis.
Working conditions have also been adapted to further protect 
our teams:
a Adaptation of store opening hours
a Closure of integrated stores in France on Sundays during the 
strict lockdown period
a Generalisation of teleworking conditions for headquarter 
employees

ENSURE THE CONTINUITY  
OF FOOD DISTRIBUTION
— Carrefour teams mobilized in an exceptional manner to ensure 
the continuity of food distribution in a context without precedent.
The Group has kept the supply chain running smoothly through:
a The establishment of plans to secure supply in stores and 
warehouses, with specific measures for the most sensitive and 
priority products
a The establishment of a crisis unit dedicated to steering the 
supply chain and working with suppliers to increase direct flows
a The rationalisation of supplier ranges (SKU reallocation, new 
suppliers, etc.), risk mapping, especially of shortages, and the 
monitoring of alerts
a Mobilisation of headquarters teams in the field, on a voluntary 
basis
a The recruitment of 5,000 employees in Brazil to strengthen 
the store teams
— Carrefour has additionally adapted to the very high demand 
for e-commerce. The Net Promoter Score® (a measurement of 
customer satisfaction) reached a record level in this segment in 
France. Among the measures implemented in e-commerce are:
a Operations: Immediate implementation of virtual queues on 
all our websites, versatility  of store teams and opening of 
numerous  order  preparation  points,  acceleration  of 
mechanisation and work rotations in warehouses
a Services: Development of Carrefour Drive in Spain and Italy 

and launch of the model in Argentina and Poland, launch of the 
“Les Essentiels Carrefour” offer deployed in France and Italy, using 
a dedicated mini-site to make baskets of essential food items 
available to customers
a Delivery partnerships: Signature of contracts with UberEats in 
France and Glovo in Poland
— The Group wishes to express its gratitude to its personnel in 
the field, in stores, in Drives, and in warehouses, who have 
contributed to the intense collective effort in this period of crisis. 
Bonuses, vouchers or other benefits are awarded to these 
employees  in  all  countries.  In  France,  notably,  around 
85,000 employees will benefit from a bonus of €1,000 net, 
representing a total cost of around €85m.

MOBILISATION IN FAVOUR OF  
PURCHASING POWER
— Carrefour mobilised to defend its customers’ purchasing 
power by strengthening its commitments and by freezing prices 
on thousands of products in all countries, for example on 
5,000 Carrefour-branded products and 500 “Unbeatable Price” 
products in France.

NUMEROUS SOLIDARITY ACTIONS
— Carrefour is committed to helping hospital and medical staff, 
as well as the most vulnerable people:
a Priority checkouts and time slots have been dedicated to these 
groups in most stores
a New services (taking orders by phone, meal deliveries, etc.) 
have been specially set up for these groups
— The Carrefour Foundation has released €3m for emergency 
food aid and hospitals, including:
a  Contribution  to  the  emergency  fund  of  the  Assistance 
Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris Foundation in France to help medical 
teams in French hospitals and fund medical research to defeat 
COVID-19
a Support for medical teams at San Carlo and San Paolo hospitals 
in Italy
a Purchase of equipment to help local Red Cross in Poland and 
Romania
— In Spain, Carrefour donated mattresses and beds for makeshift 
hospitals. In Brazil, Carrefour doubled the food donations made 
by customers. Carrefour Brazil will in turn distribute the equivalent 
of 15 million Brazilian reais of food to the families most vulnerable 
to the virus.
— The Carrefour Solidarity team, which usually works with 
14 partner associations, has responded to new requests for 
emergency food and non-food aid from other institutions, such 
as nursing homes and hospitals. It has also worked to: 
a Set up a "Solidarity Associations" multi brand platform to 
provide timely assistance to those working in the field.
a Implement the Solidarity Masks operation, led by Alexandre 
Jardin. In cooperation with the AFNOR platform, our stores have 
now become relays for the free distribution of masks to the most 
underprivileged.

SUPPORT FOR AGRICULTURAL  
SECTORS IN THE CRISIS
— The health crisis has reduced opportunities for many SMEs in 
the agricultural/fish and food industries. Carrefour supports 
players in these sectors and is mobilising to limit the economic 
impact they face:
a Carrefour is committed to wholesalers to support French 
fishing, by guaranteeing volumes and purchase prices on around 
10 major species.
a For seasonal products in hypermarkets, Carrefour is committed 
to sourcing exclusively from French farmers.
a The Group was the first retailer to contribute, donating up to 
€250,000, to the Solidarity Fund for Consumers and Citizens 
created by "C'est qui le patron?". The fund aims to support people 
whose self-employed professional activity has been strongly 
impacted by the crisis (independents, shops, farmers, very small 
businesses).

SOCIAL AND SOCIETAL  
RESPONSIBILITY MEASURES
—  In  the  exceptional  context  of  the  pandemic,  and  in  a 
responsible corporate approach, Alexandre Bompard informed 
the Board of Directors of his decision to give up 25% of his fixed 
compensation for a period of two months. In addition, the fixed 
remuneration of the members of the Executive Committee was 
frozen for all of 2020, and they were asked to forsake 10% of their 
fixed remuneration for a period of two months. Finally, the 
members of the Board of Directors have decided to reduce their 
directors’ fees by 25% for the current year.
The corresponding amounts will be used to finance solidarity 
actions for Group employees, in France and abroad.
In a gesture of social and societal responsibility, the Board of 
Directors also decided to reduce the dividend proposed for the 
2019 financial year by 50%, which will now amount to €0.23 per 
share.

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CARREFOUR — ANNUAL REPORT 2019

07

Becoming the 
leader in

THE FOOD

TRANSITION

FOR ALL,

SOMMAIRE

WHY?

HOW?

12 —  To stay ahead of evolving consumption patterns 
13 — To bring quality food to everyone 
14 —  To support the transformation of agricuture  
18 — To protect our planet 

24 — By serving our customers with passion
28 — By investing in fresh, local and organic products
30 — By providing transparent product information
34 — By guaranteeing accessibility for all 
36 — By building a benchmark omnichannel universe  
40 —  By introducing innovative growth formats and concepts  
42 —  By conserving the planet’s resources 

WITH WHOM?

46 — Our business model, generating shared value 
48 — With our teams 
52 — With our suppliers and our product lines 
56 — With our strategic partners
58 — With our customers 
59 — With communities 
60 — A committed governance

64 — Financial and extra-financial indicators

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CARREFOUR — ANNUAL REPORT 2019

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CARREFOUR — ANNUAL REPORT 2019Becoming the 
leader in

THE FOOD

TRANSITION 

FOR ALL,

CHAPTER — 1

WHY?

Our society’s current production and consumption 
methods are reaching their limits. As a leading agent of 
change, Carrefour is helping to usher in a new distribution 
model that makes quality food, produced in an 
environmentally friendly manner, accessible to the greatest 
number of people, all while supporting the necessary 
transformation of agriculture and farming.

Since December 2019, Carrefour has begun 
using a spectrophotometric technique (based 
on colour analysis) for in-ovo selection of laying 
hens used to produce Carrefour Quality Line 
eggs. This is a first in France. In this way, laying 
hens can be selected before they hatch,  
thus avoiding the need to kill male chicks. 

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CARREFOUR — ANNUAL REPORT 2019
CARREFOUR — RAPPORT ANNUEL 2019

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CHAPTER — 1

Becoming the leader in the food transition for all, why?

TO STAY AHEAD OF  
EVOLVING CONSUMPTION  
PATTERNS

TO BRING QUALITY FOOD  
TO EVERYONE 

Concerned about their purchasing power, but 
also mindful of the health and environmental 
issues associated with food, consumers are now 
adopting more responsible purchasing habits, 
while taking advantage of the new opportunities 
offered by digital technology. In Europe, 
consumers are increasingly turning to organic 
products. Carrefour is working by their side at the 
epicentre of the movement for sustainable and 
connected consumer habits.

Consumption habits are changing. Health has 

become a major concern: populations in 
developed countries are changing their diets, 
which are too high in calories, sugar, refined 
starches and animal products. Worldwide, 64% of 

consumers follow a diet that eliminates or restricts certain 
ingredients (1). They are also on the hunt for healthier products.  
In the European Union, the market for organic products nearly 
quadrupled between 2004 and 2017 (2). Its growth goes hand in 
hand with a decrease in meat consumption: in France, 35.4% of 
households have at least one flexitarian and 2.6% at least one 
vegetarian or vegan (3). Shopping is also becoming a more 
conscious act: consumers favour short distribution channels as 
well as local and seasonal products, in order to limit losses and 
waste. They also want to ensure that producers are fairly 
compensated, and promote animal welfare and environmental 
protection.

2.4 billion  
 people in the world have an 
unbalanced diet (5)

71%  
 of consumers use their 
smartphone in store (6)

70%  

 of Europeans think organic 
products are safer (2)

80%  

 of Europeans believe  
organic foods are better for 
the environment (2)

Sources:
1.  Nielsen Global Ingredients and Dining Out Trends. Survey of 30,000 consumers in 

63 countries conducted in 2016.

2. Organic Farming in the European Union, 2019 edition.
3.  Kantar LinkQ Flexitarism Study, June 2019.
4.  Kantar TNS Food 360, 2018 Edition, survey conducted online in 14 countries.
5.  Report from the EAT-Lancet Commission: “Healthy food from sustainable 

production”, 2019.

6. Hub Institute, Hub Report, “The Future of Retail”, 2019.

SUPPORTING NEW USES AND PRACTICES 
— Food consumption is becoming more fragmented: more 
meals are taken outside, snack breaks are increasing and home 
delivery is developing rapidly. Shopping channels are also 
diversifying: consumers are mixing online and in-store 
shopping, while visiting all types of stores depending on their 
needs. These changes are amplified by the deployment of 
digital technology, which delivers even greater flexibility: it is 
now possible to order purchases in one click, before collecting 
them at a pick-up location. In-store, smartphones have 
become a decision-making tool. They allow consumers to 
check nutritional information, search for promotions and save 
time at checkout by scanning barcodes and QR codes. Digital is 
also meeting the growing demand for personalisation. Loyalty 
card data is already making it possible to deepen customer 
knowledge and fine-tune customer interactions via SMS or 
email. Finally, digital technology is responding to the demand 
for greater transparency about products before purchase, 
which is expressed by nine out of ten consumers (4): using 
blockchain technology also provides greater assurances in 
terms of transparency related to product traceability.
As a pioneer in food quality, Carrefour was the first to embrace 
these major changes and to respond accordingly, both for and 
with its customers.

Enabling everyone, everywhere to have access to 
healthy food at an affordable price means closing 
two major gaps – nutritional and geographic – by 
offering quality products at competitive prices 
and by strengthening our geographic network of 
retail outlets. Carrefour has continued to meet 
this challenge for 60 years.

Providing healthy, affordable and accessible food 

remains a vital issue. Access to healthy, high quality 
food and access to adequate food for all are 
respectively the third and fourth priorities expressed 
by consumers on all five continents (1). Malnutrition 
started to increase again worldwide in 2015, after a decade of 
decline. In 2018, more than 820 million people, or 10.8% of the 
world's population, were undernourished (2) and 2 billion 
struggled with food insecurity. In France, the share of the 
population describing its purchasing power as "low" increased 
from 28% to 31% (3) in one year. When asked which spending 
categories they would like to dedicate more resources to, 43% 
of French people identified food in 2019, compared to 29% in 
2018, an increase of 14 points.

DELIVERING EVEN GREATER PROXIMITY 
— Physical accessibility is also a key concern for consumers. 
 In all countries, many areas remain isolated: they have a low 
density of shops compared to large urban areas, forcing 
residents to travel across great distances to make their 
purchases. The demand for proximity is strong and responds to 
a desire for local dynamism, both inside and outside major 
urban centres. Retail players must therefore develop 
segmented offers in terms of price, as well as ensure a dense 
regional network and efficient online services, in order to help 
reduce the economic and geographic food divide.
Working on the frontlines of this effort to bring quality food to 
the masses since its inception, Carrefour is now reaffirming its 
commitment with vigour. 

BALANCING PURCHASING POWER  
AND FOOD QUALITY

It is more than possible to reconcile the demand for 
healthy food with sustained purchasing power. Studies 
carried out by WWF France and ECO2 Initiative show that 
shifting diets towards more plant-based consumption 
would make it possible to reduce the carbon footprint of 
food, introduce more certified organic products (AB, 
Label Rouge, etc.) and satisfy nutritional needs without 
increasing grocery budgets. The cost of a flexitarian diet, 
which includes 50% certified organic products, is equal 
to the average food budget in France (4).

Sources:
1.  “The challenge of resources”, ELABE study for Veolia carried out in January 2018 

among 14,000 people in 28 countries.

2. SOFI report (FAO, WHO, WFP, Unicef), July 2019.
3. Eighth edition of the annual Cofidis CSA barometer, September 2019.
4.  "Towards low-carbon, healthy and affordable food", WWF and ECO2 Initiative 

study, 2017.

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CARREFOUR — ANNUAL REPORT 2019

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CARREFOUR — ANNUAL REPORT 2019 
CHAPTER — 1

Becoming the leader in the food transition for all, why?

TO SUPPORT 
THE TRANSFORMATION 

OF AGRICULTURE

The current model of intensive agriculture is reaching its limit and  
straining the environment: in this context, the agricultural transition seems 
vital. By supporting its suppliers as they convert to more sustainable practices, 
Carrefour is fully committed to this transformation.

In 2050, the Earth is expected to be home to 9.7 billion 

people, compared to 7.7 billion in 2019, an increase of 
2 billion in 30 years (1). To ensure food security for all, world 
food production will need to increase by 60% by 2050 (2).
Intensive and industrial agriculture, which has increased 

agricultural yields since the 1960s, has reached its limit. Indeed, 
humans now use more than 70% of the planet's ice-free land. 
One third of arable land is used to feed livestock and 60% of the 
grains produced in the world are consumed by animals. Eighty 
per cent of deforestation is caused by agriculture, in particular 
by the expansion of lands used to grow soybean for livestock 
feed and oil palm. In this context, expanding new agricultural 
lands runs counter to humanity's best interests, especially since 

current methods deplete arable land. Indeed, land productivity 
is likely to fall by 30% by 2050 (3). Promoting alternative modes of 
production now seems essential in order to combat these 
imbalances.  

INVENTING A SUSTAINABLE NEW MODEL   
— Practices that can sustain the full productivity of the land are 
steadily improving. New sustainable pathways have begun to 
take shape, including improved irrigation techniques, soil 
restoration, crop rotation, the elimination of pesticides, more 
diverse seeds and the feeding of livestock with locally produced 
food. Several new virtuous agricultural models exist, such as 
agroecology, permaculture and agroforestry. Organic 
agriculture, which guarantees a production method that 
respects the environment and animal welfare, is the most 
emblematic of agricultural transformation.
According to a study by Nature Communications (4), it will be 
possible to feed more than 9 billion people in 2050 using 100% 
organic agriculture (without increasing agricultural land and 
while reducing greenhouse gas emissions). However, two 
conditions apply: reducing food waste and limiting the 
consumption of animal products. The Afterres 2050 prospective 
scenario estimates that a shift towards 50% organic agriculture 
could feed 72 million French people in 2050 without increasing 
the amount of arable land. In effect, such a scenario would cut 
greenhouse gas emissions in half, lessen energy and water 

consumption in summer, and reduce pesticide use by a factor 
of three, provided that over-consumption and losses are 
reduced and that diets change accordingly.

SUPPORTING THE BOOM IN ORGANIC 
AGRICULTURE 
— The challenge is considerable, given that organic farming 
currently represents only 1.4% of the Utilised Agricultural Area 
(UAA) in the world and 7.5% in the European Union (5). 
Nevertheless, it has grown extremely fast in recent years. 
Between 2007 and 2017, organic farmland in the European 
Union almost doubled. It exceeded 13.8 million hectares at the 
end of 2018 and continues to grow very rapidly, alongside the 
number of organic farms. In France, between 2017 and 2018, 
4,932 farms joined the ranks of organic farming, bringing their 
number to 41,623, an increase of 13%. Such growth has been 
accompanied by a record level of recruitment: in 2018, 9.5% of 
French farms were certified organic. In terms of surface area, a 
new high-water mark was reached when lands cultivated 
according to eco-friendly principles surpassed 2 million 
hectares. Lands in their first year of conversion increased by 
31%. 
The agricultural transformation has begun. Carrefour is an 
active player in this process: it has been supporting and 
accompanying suppliers in the agroecology and organic 
sectors for many years.

CARREFOUR 
FACILITATES 
RESPONSIBLE 
AGRICULTURAL 
PRACTICES BY 
OFFERING SPECIAL 
TERMS AND 
CONDITIONS TO 
PRODUCERS IN ITS 
SECTORS. 

THE ORGANIC MARKET (5)

93  
 countries regulate  
organic agriculture as of  
early 2019

 +€100 billion 
 annual sales in global  
organic market 

+€40 billion 
 annual sales in the  
EU organic market 

€9.7 billion  

 annual sales in French organic 
market, representing nearly 5% 
of household consumption

Sources:
1. United Nations, World Population Prospects Report 2019, published in June 2019.
2. FAO (www.fao.org/sustainability/background).
3. Elabe study: “What diet in 2049?”, November 2019.
4.  “Strategies for feeding the world more sustainably with organic agriculture”, 
November 2017 (www.nature.com/articles/s41467-017-01410-w#Sec2).

5.  L'Agence Bio, “Organic farming in the world”, 2019 edition, “Organic farming in the 
European Union”, 2019 edition and key figures (www.agencebio. org/your-tools/
key-figures).

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CARREFOUR — ANNUAL REPORT 2019

15

 
CHAPTER — 1

Becoming the leader in the food transition for all, why?

INCREASING REVENUE  
FROM THE PRICE OF MILK

Within the framework of the French General Conference on Food, Carrefour is  
committed to increasing the price per litre of milk paid to producers, thereby helping  
to ensure that they receive fair compensation.

On 13 February, 2019 Carrefour signed four agree-

ments with Lactalis, Sodiaal, Yoplait and Laïta via 
the "Envergure" joint purchasing centre, created 
with U Enseigne. The agreements are designed to 
increase milk revenues for more than 500 million 
dairy products of the Président, Lactel, La Laitière, Lanquetot, 
Lepetit, Chaussée aux Moines, Yoplait, Yop, Petits Filous, Perle de 
Lait, Entremont, Candia and Paysan Breton brands. The four 
partnerships benefit 28,000 French milk producers.

Building on this approach, Carrefour also took advantage of 
the Livestock Summit on 2 October, 2019 to sign an agreement 
for the purchase of 30 million litres of mountain milk per year with 
COOPAL, a cooperative of 403 producers from the Puy-de-
Dôme and neighbouring departments, the supplier Orlait and the 
bottler SLVA. This partnership guarantees a price paid to produ-
cers of 385 euros per 1,000 litres, excluding the mountain and 
quality premiums. Carrefour is thus stepping up its historical sup-
port for agricultural production in mountainous areas, via its 
Carrefour Mountain Milk brand, which it has marketed for 
30 years.

This dynamic process will continue in 2020. For the second 
year of the French General Conference on Food, Carrefour signed 
a global agreement in December 2019 to raise the prices of the 
national cheese and consumer milk brands produced by Sodiaal. 
The Group has also committed to increasing the prices of its own 
Carrefour brand as of this March. The agreement covers a total 
volume of 400 million litres of milk produced and processed per 
year, i.e. 10% of Sodiaal's collection. It will enter into effect on 
1 March 2020 and will benefit all 20,000 producers in the coo-
perative.

In less than two years, in the spirit of the French General 
Conference on Food, Carrefour will have increased the value of 
more than 2.3 billion litres of milk (milk, cheese, ultra fresh) of 
national brands and Carrefour brands by a minimum of 30 euros 
(per 1,000 litres of milk), i.e. 10% of French production.

SUPPORTING ORGANIC MILK

Carrefour is supporting the conversion to organic 
production in this sector. Its partnership with WWF 
France, the Saint-Denis-de-l'Hôtel dairy (LSDH) and the 
Centre dairy farmers (APLBC) has enabled Carrefour to 
support 66 milk producers in this process since 2018. 
How does it work? By paying them an additional €50 per 
1,000 litres of milk for two years, then offering three-
year contracts at the end of this period.

16

“To give to others  
what you would like to 
consume yourself” 

Céline et Guillaume Julien —  
Livestock farmers, Le Bouchet-Saint-Nicolas  
(Haute-Loire)

Carrefour team visiting 
GAEC Julien (Le Bouchet-
Saint-Nicolas, Haute-Loire), 
with representatives of the 
COOPAL cooperative.  
The contract signed between 
Carrefour and COOPAL has 
enabled an increase in the 
revenue of Mountain Milk.

On 7 May, 2005, 
our eldest son, Roman*, was 
born. It was then we realised 
what gave true meaning to our 
work, which in turn motivated 
our choice to opt for compre-
hensive livestock farming.

560,000
litres of milk per year  
is the annual production of 
GAEC Julien.

* Celine and Guillaume are parents of two children, Roman and Clara.  
They work together on the farm handed down by Guillaume's parents and 
uncle. They practice "responsible agriculture" by ensuring the food and 
cereal production on their own farm to feed their 85 Prim'Holstein dairy 
cows.

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CARREFOUR — ANNUAL REPORT 2019CHAPTER — 1

Becoming the leader in the food transition for all, why?

TO PROTECT

 OUR PLANET

Several decades of using synthetic pesticides are now having a 
devastating impact on insect populations, especially bees.  
At the level of marine and ocean ecosystems, the overfishing 
required to meet growing seafood demand is having destructive 
effects: 90% of fish stocks are either overexploited or fully 
exploited.

FIGHTING AGAINST FOOD WASTE
— Food waste also has a major ecological footprint. Every year, 
1.3 billion tonnes of food are lost or wasted worldwide, 
representing one third of the total food produced and a cost of 
$750 billion. Fifty-four per cent of this loss takes place upstream, 
during the production, handling and storage phases after 
harvest. The remaining 46% is spread over the processing, 
distribution and consumption stages. In environmental terms, 
food waste is responsible for the release of 3.3 gigatonnes of 
greenhouse gases per year, making it the third-largest source of 
pollution, after the United States and China.
Aware of the magnitude of the issues at stake, a majority of 
people worldwide believe it is necessary to act quickly to solve 
these ecological, energy and food challenges (2).  
They understand the impact of intensive agricultural activities 
on the planet and wish to fight against the imbalances caused 
by food globalisation, notably by establishing a less intensive 
model that consumes fewer resources and returns to local 
production.
By reducing the carbon footprint of its activities, implementing 
its anti-waste actions and committing to its pioneering 
approach to sustainable agriculture, Carrefour is positioned at 
the forefront of this new model.

Human activities are undermining the Earth's fragile ecosystems and depleting 
its limited, overexploited resources. From its central vantage point within the 
agri-food supply chain, Carrefour is working to build a new business model in 
order to preserve the environment.

Preserving the environment is one of the major 

challenges of the 21st century. Concentrated urban 
areas and human activity are causing large-scale 
climate change, posing a threat to the planet's 
equilibrium and biodiversity. The emission of 
greenhouse gases into the atmosphere could lead to an 
increase in global surface temperature of between 1.1°C and 
6.4°C over the course of the century, according to the latest 
IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) 
projections. The consequences of global warming are already 
on display: deteriorating air quality, melting Arctic glaciers, rising 
sea levels, increased precipitation in high latitudes and water 
stress in subtropical regions. Over time, the frequency of 
extreme weather events, such as torrential rains, storms, floods 
and droughts, is expected to increase significantly.

Forests, which are home to 80% of Earth's biodiversity, are 
shrinking by 13 million hectares per year. More than 75% of the 
planet's land surface has already been altered in a more or less 
reversible way, leading to desertification, deforestation, 
pollution and salinisation. At the current rate, experts at the 
IPBES (Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and 
Ecosystem Services) estimate that 95% of the planet's land may 
deteriorate by 2050, which could provoke massive population 
displacements.

PUTTING AN END TO OVEREXPLOITATION
— Agri-food activities have a considerable impact on the planet. 
The world's food system as a whole accounts for one-third of 
global greenhouse gas emissions, with agricultural production 
accounting for about 20% of these emissions. Land degradation 
results from unsustainable land management linked to intensive 
agricultural practices. Intensive agriculture also disrupts 
freshwater ecosystems, which are placed under extreme stress 
by agricultural irrigation and are polluted by pesticides and 
fertilisers. What’s more, deforestation linked to agriculture 
threatens all of the world's major forests: the Amazon, the 
Cerrado, the Congo Basin, New Guinea, South-East Asia, etc.
Agriculture is also one of the main causes of the decline and 
erosion of terrestrial biodiversity. Of the many species that have 
already disappeared from the Earth's surface, 75% have fallen 
victim to overexploitation or intensive agricultural activities. 

1/3 
of greenhouse gas emissions 
come from the food industry (1)

13  
 million hectares of land are 
deforested every year

75%  

 of the planet’s land surface  
is degraded (1)

33%  

 of the world’s food is lost  
or wasted (1) 

Sources:
1. "The Food Transition: what does it mean? ", Lepac study, December 2019.
2.  "The Resource Challenge", ELABE study for Veolia conducted in January 2018 

among 14,000 people in 28 countries.

18
18

CARREFOUR — ANNUAL REPORT 2019

19
19

CARREFOUR — ANNUAL REPORT 2019 
CHAPTER — 1

Becoming the leader in the food transition for all, why?

TO REDUCE  
PLASTIC PACKAGING

As a signatory of national and international pacts on plastic packaging, Carrefour has initiated a 
number of concrete actions in all the countries in which it operates. Together these efforts have 
resulted in the reduction of 4,095 tonnes of plastic packaging since 2017.

The packaging of organic bananas, cucumbers and tomatoes 
has been revised, as well as that of fresh mushrooms, which 
now limits plastic to a simple protective film. 
The reduction of fruit and vegetable assortments and a 
rebalanced supply in favour of bulk purchases also strengthens 
the "fresh quality" image and reduces packaging. 

“Reducing our 
plastic footprint 
is a vital challenge 
for our society.”

Corinne Henry-Munoz —  
Executive Director Fresh Foods, Carrefour

On 16 March, 2019,  
my daughter took part in the 
March of the Century for the 
Climate. She then challenged 
me by asking what actions I 
would be willing to take.

10,000 tonnes
of packaging eliminated by 
2025 is the target set by the 
Group.

In December 2018, Carrefour joined the Global Commitment 

to the New Plastics Economy initiated by the Ellen MacArthur 
Foundation, which aims to eliminate unnecessary plastics. 
In February 2019, Carrefour was one of the founding signa-
tories of the National Pact on Plastic Packaging for 2025, 
which brings together the French Ministry of Ecological Transition 
and Solidarity, manufacturers, major retailers and non-profit 
organisations around a concrete action plan to reduce plastic 
waste and promote the circular economy. In this context, 
Carrefour has set a target of using 100% reusable, recyclable or 
compostable packaging for its brands' products by 2025. By 2020, 
the Group will commit to offering more recyclable packaging for 
Carrefour organic products in France and to achieve zero plastic 
for its organic fruit and vegetable departments. Its action plan is 
based on five principles: 
a Develop reusable packaging. In Europe, Carrefour has rolled 
out the "Bring Your Own Container" initiative offering customers 
the opportunity to bring their own packaging for products from 
the fish, meat or deli departments. France and Spain will offer reu-
sable organic cotton bags for sale starting in 2020.
a Eliminate plastic packaging in stores. In addition to its actions 
with organic vegetables and fruit, Carrefour is working to reduce 
excess packaging linked to promotional sets and individual por-
tions in all departments. Plastic-free packaging is now being 
tested in bakeries. In the toys, batteries and light bulb categories, 
238 tonnes of packaging have already been eliminated as of the 
end of 2019.
a Improve recycling efforts. In every country, Carrefour is 
carrying out eco-design initiatives. In Brazil, 100% of Carrefour's 
brand suppliers have undergone a recyclability diagnostic, which 
has made it possible to substitute more than 5.4 million tonnes 
of non-recyclable packages and products. In France, the Group 
is supporting the (RE)SET Retail program, which is working to 
develop complex packaging formats and will launch its first inno-
vations in 2020.
a Encourage collection and sorting. Carrefour France has ins-
talled RVM (Reverse Vending Machine) terminals in 17 stores to 
test the collection of PET bottles and aluminium cans. The parti-
cipative beverage deposit system, set up with the start-up YOYO, 
has been extended to 15 stores in the Ile-de-France region.
a Integrate recycled materials into proprietary brands. By 2022, 
50% of the plastics used for Carrefour brand water bottles will be 
recycled.

20

Corinne Henry-Munoz with 
her teams at the logistics 
platform in Combs-la-Ville 
(Seine-et-Marne) dedicated 
to fresh products. 

21

CARREFOUR — ANNUAL REPORT 2019Becoming the 
leader in

THE FOOD

TRANSITION 

FOR ALL,

CHAPTER — 2

HOW?

As the pioneer of a new sustainable and responsible  
retail model, Carrefour is transforming to work even harder 
for its customers and food quality, by building a complete 
omnichannel universe driven by growth in digital services 
and the development of innovative concepts.

22
22

CARREFOUR — ANNUAL REPORT 2019

23
23

In 2019, Carrefour will operate 
1,696 Drive pick-up points worldwide. 
The Group made 1.3 billion euros in 
global sales in food e-commerce, up 
more than 30% year-on-year.

CARREFOUR — ANNUAL REPORT 2019 
CHAPTER — 2

Becoming the leader in the food transition for all, how?

BY SERVING

OUR CUSTOMERS 

WITH PASSION

"Serving customers with passion" is one of the four commitments in  
the Act for Change programme launched by Carrefour in 2019. It places 
customer satisfaction at the centre of all the Group's actions.

Offering the best products and highest service 

quality is one of Carrefour's main priorities. 
Listening to customers, anticipating their needs, 
responding as quickly as possible to their 
requests and improving their in-store experience 

at all times lies at the heart of our employees' mission.

EVALUATING SERVICE QUALITY
— Carrefour uses the Net Promoter Score® (NPS®) (1) tool to 
measure customer satisfaction. In 2019, its deployment in all 
countries where the Group operates led to a number of 
improvements: greater versatility for in-store teams; a reduction 
in the rate of out-of-stock products; and the introduction of 
protocols for detecting, tracking and quickly resolving customer 
complaints. In Taiwan, Argentina and Spain, the 5/5/5 method, 

1.  Net Promoter®, Net Promoter System®, Net Promoter Score®, NPS®  

and the NPS-related emoticons are registered trademarks of Bain & Company, 
Inc., Fred Reichhel and Satmetrix Systems, Inc.

based on a set of 15 commitments divided into three categories, 
was designed to respond quickly and concretely to customer 
requests. In Spain, it led to the launch of new in-store services 
for customers, WhatsApp contact numbers for stores and 
reduced waiting times at checkouts. In France, the Critizr 
dialogue interface, rolled out at all of the Group's stores, 
collected nearly 2 million customer responses, enabling store 
managers to identify areas for improvement. Meetings and 
discussions, such as in-store Customer Breakfasts and 
Customer Roundtables, fostered direct dialogue with 
consumers. The "Oui Attitude" initiative, kicked off in November, 
encourages Carrefour France employees to say yes to all 
customer requests and suggestions in every circumstance.  

OFFERING A FRIENDLY EXPERIENCE 
— In addition to providing an impeccable service quality, 
Carrefour ensures the comfort of its customers by making their 
shopping experience as pleasant as possible. In Spain, the 
in-store layout has been enhanced to offer new information 
and relaxation areas: reception, rest and reading areas for adults 
and games for children, food courts and food halls for all. In 
Argentina, all hypermarkets have introduced "quiet hours", 
during which customers with low tolerance to noise, music or 
strong light can shop in peace. Customers who wish to do so 
can also organise their birthday party in-store. In Taiwan, 
Carrefour offers "Fun Table Tour" workshops on healthy cooking 

and tastings of dishes prepared by chefs. Entertainment and 
educational workshops on food and retail are also organised for 
children.

CUSTOMER-CENTRIC TRAINING
— Listening to and understanding consumers form the 
backbone of the training courses taken by the Group's 
employees. In France, the "Proud to Build Customer Loyalty" 
checkout training and the creation of a Customer Relationship 
and Services Coordinator position in the hypermarket have 
helped to strengthen the customer culture. In Romania, a 
comprehensive customer experience strategy was built in 2019, 
raising awareness among employees through activities like 
sharing best practices for in-store teams, customer testimonial 
workshops and feedback sessions organised for different 
departments at the head office. The goal of this system is to 
inform each employee of the role he or she can play at his or her 
own level to enhance overall customer satisfaction.

RISING CUSTOMER SATISFACTION
— These initiatives have yielded results: in 2019, customer 
satisfaction as measured by the Net Promoter Score® (NPS®) 
improved in all of the Group's locations, with a notable increase 
in Brazil, Argentina, Poland, Romania and Taiwan. As a result of 
improved customer satisfaction, in the third quarter of 2019, 
Poland posted record like-for-like growth, Argentina reported 
higher volumes and traffic, while Spain reported comparable 
sales growth for the first time since the second quarter of 2017, 
returning to growth across all formats.

CUSTOMER 
SATISFACTION LIES 
AT THE HEART OF 
ALL OUR ACTIONS 
AND THE 
RESHAPING OF OUR 
MODEL.

CARREFOUR  
IN 2019:

77  
 million customer 
 households

57  

 million loyalty  
cardholders

21  
 million fans on social 
media networks

 +8 points  
 in the Net  
Promoter Score® (NPS®)

24
24

CARREFOUR — ANNUAL REPORT 2019

25
25

CARREFOUR — ANNUAL REPORT 2019 
CHAPTER — 2

Becoming the leader in the food transition for all, how?

DEVELOPING  
CUSTOMER SATISFACTION

With the 5/5/5 method, Carrefour implements concrete actions to serve  
its customers ever more effectively.

The customer is at the heart of Carrefour's business. 

Indeed, it is only by listening to its customers that the 
Group is able to meet the 21st century challenges 
facing the retail sector. To make customer satisfac-
tion its number one priority, Carrefour initiated a very 

concrete method in 2019, known as "5/5/5".

5/5/5 promotes a culture of individual and collective com-
mitment that unites the Group's employees around a clear objec-
tive: meeting customer expectations. This continuous effort to 
improve Carrefour's processes and tools is achieved by effectively 
taking into account consumer feedback.

The 5/5/5 system enables each store, whatever its format and 
trading area, to win over its customers by being constantly atten-
tive to their needs. Consumers are placed at the centre of the 
actions of all employees, whether they are at the points of sale – 
from shelf and checkout staff to store managers – or at head 
office. This method consists of 15 commitments divided into 
three categories (trust, service, proximity) designed to remind 
employees at all times of the steps to be taken to satisfy the cus-
tomer. 

In 2019, the approach was successfully deployed in Spain, 
Argentina and Taiwan. In Argentina, for example, head office 
employees assist store teams during seasonal peaks of activity 
such  as  Christmas  and  Easter  to  better  serve  customers. 
Beverages and snacks are also provided to make waiting at the 
checkout more pleasant. The store managers' business mobile 
phone numbers are included in the stores' communication mate-
rials to reinforce a sense of proximity and quality of service. This 
is also the case in Spain, where "buzzers" enable customers to ask 
for help from the teams on the shelves. For its part, Carrefour 
Taiwan organizes online surveys and invites producers from 
Carrefour Quality Lines to present healthy products to customers 
as part of its "farmer's market".

The 5/5/5 method is due to be rolled out across the Group in 

2020.

“My strategy? 
Customers.  
My conviction? 
Never without 
them.”*

Rami Baitieh — Executive Director Spain and member of 
the Carrefour Executive Committee

On 9 May, 2019, 
on my way to our Madrid 
headquarters when I first took 
up the position, a few minutes 
after my arrival I stopped off at 
the San Fernando store to 
meet the teams and listen to 
our customers.

Rami Baitieh meeting 
customers and teams at the 
Majadahonda hypermarket 
(in northwest Madrid). 

A six-fold increase in sales  
of guacamole, thanks to a 
new recipe designed 
together with customers and 
adapted to the needs of the 
food transition

+1.7 million
tickets sold in the second half 
of 2019 in Spain. 

26

27

* All Carrefour team meetings, training sessions and events in Spain are held 
in the presence of customers. What's more, the managers' offices are now 
located in the heart of the sales floor, in response to customer expectations 
that store teams are always available. It was a request raised by Spanish 
customers and this improvement is measured by the Net Promoter Score®.

CARREFOUR — ANNUAL REPORT 2019CHAPTER — 2

Becoming the leader in the food transition for all, how?

BY INVESTING 
IN FRESH, LOCAL AND ORGANIC 
PRODUCTS

Consumers value and prefer healthy and sustainable eating habits.  
Carrefour supports them in this approach by offering more selective and 
responsible products: fresh, local or organic.

Promoting the food transition for all means 

Carrefour must transform its offer. With Act for 
Food, its global programme of concrete actions to 
promote better eating, the Group is reducing its 
ecological footprint while improving the quality of its 
products. It is accelerating the development of new ranges and 
overhauling all of its own brands to meet new consumer 
demands.

GUARANTEEING FRESHNESS AND QUALITY  
— Carrefour is committed to marketing excellent fresh 
products, which are showcased in store through the expertise 
of its skilled artisans: market gardeners, bakers, butchers, 
seafood and cheese sellers. To guarantee the quality of its 

supplies, the Group works to develop its Carrefour Quality Lines, 
which offer market-fresh core products that meet strict 
requirements of traceability, quality and flavour made possible 
by implementing best farming practices. Carrefour has 726 such 
Carrefour Quality Lines worldwide, working with nearly 
27,800 partner producers. The penetration rate of Carrefour 
Quality Lines in fresh produce is increasing rapidly: 6.6% in 2019 
compared with 5.3% in 2018, with a target of 10% by 2022. With 
Act for Food, Carrefour has strengthened its commitments for 
ensuring the quality of the fruit and vegetables it sells: in France, 
across all store formats, if a customer is not satisfied with the 
freshness or taste of a product, he or she can take it back to the 
store and get a refund.

PROMOTING LOCAL SOURCING
— Throughout the world, the Group's stores are strengthening 
their offer of local products by sourcing from local farmers and 
breeders, SMEs and craftsmen located in proximity to 
customers. In France, each Carrefour hypermarket now works 
on average with around 100 local producers. This direct 
sourcing approach offers customers greater choice and 
enhanced taste while helping to guarantee freshness and 
high-quality products. Local purchasing is particularly 
encouraged through the development of local brands such as 
Reflets de France or Terra d'Italia. Carrefour Belgium has set up a 
commitment charter with respect to local producers, ensuring 

28
28

STRENGTHENING THE 
VEGETARIAN RANGE

In each of the countries where it 
operates, the Group is developing its 
vegetarian offering, while raising 
customer awareness around the need to 
adopt less meat-heavy diets. To improve 
the market penetration of its vegetarian 
products, Carrefour carries national 
brands and strengthens its own brands 
in this segment. In Argentina, Carrefour 
runs ongoing promotional campaigns 
online, in stores and across social media 
to promote fruit and vegetable 
consumption while offering a growing 
number of new vegetarian products.  
The first retailer to have launched its 
own vegetarian range in 2015, Carrefour 
Veggie, Carrefour is continuing to 
expand its line to meet the needs of  
vegetarians, vegans and flexitarians. In 
France, Carrefour Veggie doubled the 
number of its items in 2019 to offer 
around 80 products free of meat, fish 
and animal fats, as well as any colouring, 
palm oil, artificial flavouring and GMOs. 
In Brazil, the range of vegetarian 
products offered by Carrefour also grew 
considerably in 2019, increasing the 
number of references from 21 in 2017 to 
130 in 2019.

4 ACT FOR FOOD  
COMMITMENTS IN FRANCE 

01

GUARANTEE 100% ORGANIC 
PRODUCE GROWN IN FRANCE 

for its fresh Carrefour Bio brand products

02

ELIMINATE THE USE  
OF CHEMICAL PESTICIDES 
Eliminate or reduce the use of chemical 
pesticides in its produce supply chains

03

DOUBLE THE RANGE OF 
VEGETARIAN PRODUCTS

04

FOSTER BIODIVERSITY

by offering fruits and vegetables from 
farmers' seeds

that they purchase seasonal produce volumes at fair prices, with 
payment within 30 days. In Poland, Carrefour's formats are 
supplied within a radius of 100 km on average, and up to 150 km 
in large urban areas. They promote seasonal products sold 
directly in-store by local suppliers, such as strawberries from the 
Polish countryside. Group-wide, nearly 75% of Carrefour's food 
products are sourced from national suppliers.

BEING A LEADER IN ORGANIC PRODUCTS
— Demand for organic products is steadily rising across the 
Group, with sales up by more than 25% to €2.3 billion in 2019. 
Carrefour is continuing to build a comprehensive distribution 
network in this segment by expanding the organic spaces in its 
hypermarkets and supermarkets, rolling out the Carrefour Bio 
concept in Europe (France, Spain, Belgium and Poland) and 
acquiring the specialist brand So.bio, which opened its first store 
in Paris in July 2019. Carrefour is the leader in the organic 
market in France, with an in-store assortment of over 
1,000 own-brand products. In addition, Carrefour is creating 
new product lines to meet consumer expectations in ever 
greater detail, such as the My Carrefour Baby Bio baby food 
range launched in November, which offers a variety of formulas 
designed for babies from 4 to 23 months. 
As part of its Act for Food commitments, Carrefour has revised 
its requirements upwards, in order to propose an offer in line 
with its objectives and consumer demands. The Group is thus 
developing an offer that is both organic and responsible (bulk 
organic, plastic-free products, local products, etc.).
It is also expanding its online offering: Greenweez, a Carrefour 
subsidiary and European leader in the online distribution of 
organic products, acquired its Spanish competitor Planta 
Huerto in 2018 before moving into Italy in 2019, with the 
acquisition of its counterpart Sorgente Natura. 

CARREFOUR — ANNUAL REPORT 2019

29
29

CARREFOUR — ANNUAL REPORT 2019 
CHAPTER — 2

Becoming the leader in the food transition for all, how?

BY PROVIDING 

INFORMATION

 TRANSPARENT PRODUCT

To provide consumers with reliable and reputable information on  
product composition and origin, Carrefour is increasing the transparency  
of its nutritional information as well as the traceability of its supply channels 
and its commitment to animal welfare.

Consumers continue to demand greater 

transparency in their purchases. Located 
downstream of the retail chain, in direct contact 
with customers, Carrefour plays a key role in 
transmitting information about the products it 

distributes.

ROLLING OUT THE NUTRI-SCORE 
— Carrefour has always taken care to provide its customers with 
complete and detailed nutritional information on its food 
products: nutrient intake per portion, fibre content, 
recommended eating frequency. In 2019, the Group decided to 
go one step further to help its customers find their way around 
the shelves quickly and easily by adopting the Nutri-Score, a 
five-colour logo that ranks products from A to E according to 

their nutritional profile. Gradually introduced since October 
2019 on the packaging of Carrefour-brand products on the 
shelves of all stores and on the carrefour.fr website, the 
Nutri-Score will be displayed on 7,000 products in France and 
Europe, including the Carrefour Bio and Carrefour Veggie 
ranges, by 2022. Carrefour intends to encourage all players in 
the food chain to adopt the Nutri-Score, in order to improve the 
transparency of packaging by using a single system. In this way, 
the Group supports the efforts of the French public authorities 
in the area of nutritional education.

OPTIMISING NUTRITIONAL QUALITY
— Adopting the Nutri-Score is part of a strong and global 
approach to promote the nutritional quality of products.  
Since 2018, Carrefour has removed 100 controversial food 
substances from the recipes of Carrefour-brand products.  
At the same time, the Group is constantly improving the 
composition of its own-brand products to optimise their 
nutritional profile, notably by reducing the sugar content of 
beverages and the salt content of canned vegetables.  
Since 2018, Carrefour has redesigned or created more than 
2,300 products to meet the highest quality standards.

ENSURING TRACEABILITY OF SUPPLY CHAINS 
— Carrefour is a leader in food traceability. It is the first European 
retailer to use blockchain technology, which enables the history 

DEVELOPING "ANIMAL WELFARE" 
LABELLING 

Carrefour took part in introducing a new Animal  
Welfare label. In 2020, Carrefour will provide 
information on Animal Welfare and farming methods for 
more than 20 million chickens of the Carrefour, 
Carrefour BIO, Carrefour Quality Line, Reflets de France 
and Premiers Prix brands. Carrefour will integrate the 
results into its products using blockchain technology. 
Carrefour's free-range chickens from the Auvergne 
Carrefour Quality Line will be the first to receive this 
label. 

of information relating to a product, from its harvest to its 
placement on shelves, to be shared between all partners in a 
supply chain, thus guaranteeing maximum transparency for its 
customers. In 2019, it was rolled out on Carrefour Quality Line 
micro-filtered fresh whole milk and in September on 
Camembert de Normandie. Significant progress has also been 
made in regards to national brands. In April, Carrefour and 
Nestlé announced that they were giving consumers access to 
information from Europe's first blockchain for the Mousline 
brand, thanks to the IBM Food Trust collaborative platform, 
which enables data exchange between retailers and suppliers.  
In November, the two groups continued their collaboration by 
inaugurating the first infant nutrition blockchain. In all, 
blockchain was deployed on 22 new channels in 2019: 
Carrefour can now guarantee the traceability of 28 Carrefour 
Quality Lines. 

LOOKING AFTER ANIMAL WELFARE
— Carrefour is committed to animal welfare. In 2019, the Group 
launched an animal welfare audit of the 65 slaughterhouses 
supplying its own brands and the Carrefour Quality Lines, as it 
had planned to do at the end of 2018. It is also in negotiations to 
install cameras. The Group has initiated the transformation of its 
poultry sector, guaranteeing that all eggs from its brands will 
come from cage-free farms by 2025. By 2026, Carrefour 
France's own-brand chicken will comply with the European 
Chicken Commitment's criteria on animal farming conditions. 
In addition, since September 2019, Carrefour France has 
marketed chicken eggs from Poulehouse, whose production 
method does not slaughter laying hens, includes sexing in ovo 
to avoid breeding male chicks and puts an end to beak 
trimming. In Brazil, the Group is committed to ensuring the 
welfare of the pigs that supply three-quarters of the pork sold 
under its own Sabor Qualidade brand. In collaboration with the 
NGO World Animal Protection, Carrefour Brazil has set up a 
differentiated production chain, in accordance with the highest 
animal welfare standards for pig farms and slaughterhouses.

30
30

CARREFOUR — ANNUAL REPORT 2019

31
31

CARREFOUR — ANNUAL REPORT 2019 
CHAPTER — 2

Becoming the leader in the food transition for all, how?

BY IMPROVING THE TRANSPARENCY  
OF OUR OWN BRANDS

Offering customers high quality, accessible core products, Carrefour's own brands are 
spearheading the food transition for all.

I ts own brands are set to make up a growing share of 

Carrefour's product range: by 2022, they should account for 
a third of in-store sales. In France, their penetration rate 
already increased by two points in 2019, while the Group recently 
created a dedicated department to support their deployment. 
Carrefour's own brands meet the highest quality standards: in 
2019, 45,800 analyses were conducted into the freshness and 
origin of their products in warehouses and stores. These inspec-
tions were then supplemented by more than 3,000 consumer 
focus groups. In addition, 100% of Carrefour brand manufactu-
ring sites are certified through the International Featured Standard 
or British Retail Consortium standards, or audited by the Group.
The food transition and better eating also require transparent 
information on all products purchased. Developing Carrefour's 
own brands thus goes hand in hand with greater transparency 
across the Group's food offer, via a new segmentation of its pro-
ducts into five categories (see below), which will be represented 
through distinct visual identities enabling customers to quickly 
identify these categories. This segmentation will gradually expand 
to nearly 7,000 products in France and more than 10,000 in 
Europe.

In addition, Carrefour is continuing to implement the key ini-
tiative launched in 2019: integrating the Nutri-Score onto the 
packaging of all Carrefour products in order to help customers 
make informed nutritional choices when shopping. The Group 
also shares information on the composition of its products with 
the independent database Open Food Facts. Thanks to this sys-
tem, information on Carrefour products will be available both 
in-store and online: consumers will be able to check the nutri-
tional composition of Carrefour products at any time, in order to 
make tangible improvements in their diet.

5 CATEGORIES OF OWN BRANDS / 
5 MAJOR NUTRITIONAL NEEDS

f  Carrefour Classic’: the best everyday staples
f  Carrefour Extra: everyday enjoyment 
f  Carrefour Original: the inspiration of time past
f  Carrefour Sensation: a multi-sensory and out of the 
ordinary experience
f  Carrefour Le Marché: quality fresh products

The Quality Line seal spotlights products of  
the Carrefour Le Marché segment from the nearly 
500 Carrefour lines, highlighting the Group's  
partnerships with the agricultural world.

“Good and 
healthy products 
at an affordable 
price. Everyone 
should have the 
right to eat well.”

Martine Loyer —  
Food Brands Director, Carrefour

On 2 July, 2018,  
when I joined Carrefour,  
I decided to commit 
myself to promoting the 
food transition for all.

1/3
of sales generated from 
Carrefour brand products.  
This is the objective to be 
achieved by 2022.

Martine Loyer visiting the 
dairy processing site 
dedicated to ultra-fresh 
products in Jouy (Yonne). 
This site produces the 
yogurts of the new Carrefour 
Classic’ range.

Tests on Carrefour brand products are carried out with 
consumer focus groups, enabling the Group to measure 
flavour quality and test innovations.

32

33

CARREFOUR — ANNUAL REPORT 2019CHAPTER — 2

Becoming the leader in the food transition for all, how?

BY GUARANTEEING 

ACCESSIBILITY 

FOR ALL

By adjusting its prices and deploying its network of stores across all  
territories, Carrefour is working to close the food gap, refusing to accept that 
part of the population cannot fully benefit from quality products due  
to cost or physical accessibility. 

Carrefour is working hard to offer the best 

products at the best prices. The Group pursues a 
rigorous pricing policy and develops its own 
brands and Quality Lines, in order to offer its 
customers core market products that are high-

quality and affordable. Carrefour is also expanding its network 
of stores with formats that can serve all territories. In France 
there is, on average, a Carrefour store located less than eight 
minutes from each home!

CONTROLLING PRODUCT PRICES 
— In 2019, Carrefour made its prices more competitive in its  
two main areas of operation: Europe and Latin America.  
The "Prix Imbattables" operation, launched in April in France on 
10 everyday fruits and vegetables, was extended in July to more 
than 500 consumer products, with Carrefour committing to 
refund twice the difference if consumers find cheaper prices at 
another store within their catchment area. At the same time,  
a new multi-channel loyalty programme was launched in 
February 2019 to help families access quality food (organic, 
family, baby, pet and Promo+ rewards). It was enhanced in 
January 2020 by the "Market Loyalty Reward" in supermarkets, 
which grants a 10% discount on fresh produce, an advantage 
that is increased to 15% for PASS cardholders. In regards to 
organic products, Carrefour is recognised for its excellent value 
for money. According to a study published at the end of August 

2019 by the UFC Que Choisir, French consumers making their 
organic purchases at Carrefour save 30% on average compared 
to those who buy from other retailers. In Italy, after an initial test 
period in Turin, the multi-format "Prezzo ribassato" campaign, 
which offers permanent price reductions on 5,000 products, 
was extended to the whole country in September. Carrefour 
also initiated price cuts in Belgium on 1,000 national and 
own-brand products. In Spain, a "killer prices" campaign was 
launched in August 2019 to improve the brand's price 
competitiveness. In Latin America, the Group took strong 
decisions in favour of its customers' purchasing power, notably 
by freezing meat prices for three months in Argentina in a 
context of high local inflation.

CONSOLIDATING THE REGIONAL NETWORK
— Expanding its regional coverage to ensure maximum 
proximity to customers is a top priority for Carrefour. The 
Carrefour Property entity, which manages the Group's real 
estate projects, identifies the best location for each new store. 
In Metropolitan France, the Group has 5,274 stores: 47% in 
urban areas, 10% in suburban areas and 43% in rural areas. 
Carrefour's various retail formats are designed to meet the 
lifestyles and consumption needs of all customers, both urban 
and rural, individuals and professionals. In downtown areas, the 
Carrefour City and Express stores blend into the fabric of 
growing urban areas in order to facilitate everyday shopping, 

12,225  
Carrefour stores spread over 
more than 30 countries

8 minutes  
The average time it takes a 
customer to reach a Carrefour 
store in France 

including in suburban neighbourhoods. Carrefour Contact 
stores are the ultimate neighbourhood store, providing 
customers with a limited assortment of essential products. In 
the suburbs, Carrefour accompanies consumer mobility by 
opening stores as near as possible to where they live: Carrefour 
hypermarkets or cash & carry stores respond to their need for 
affordable prices. In rural areas, Carrefour is present with its 
Market, Proxi and Contact stores, which cover the territory as 
closely as possible to consumers located further away from 
large urban areas. Four "New Contact" pilot stores, specially 
designed for rural or suburban areas, opened in December 2019 
in Charente-Maritime, Finistère, Rhône and Pas-de-Calais. This 
new type of retail format, which offers an expanded organic 
offer, revamped fresh produce departments and a space for 
on-site catering, will be rolled out on a wider scale in 2020. 
Finally, to make the widest possible range of products even 
more accessible, Carrefour is also developing its e-commerce 
offer.

OFFERING ADAPTED SERVICES
— Travel reservations, concert and show tickets, car rentals, 
photo printing: Carrefour also offers its customers a wide range 
of other services at the best price, as well as payment and credit 
solutions adapted to their budgets, enabling them to save 
money every day when shopping. In France, Italy and Belgium, 
Carrefour Banque has 2.2 million customers. Launched in 
September 2019 in France, the new PASS card offers its holders 
new benefits: a 15% discount on thousands of Carrefour-
branded products in all stores. In Spain, the financial services 
subsidiary SFC, which manages 2.5 million cards for 1.6 million 
customers, successfully implemented the Carrefour Pay 
application in the first half of 2019: it already accounts for nearly 
10% of PASS transactions. In Brazil, the Group launched the 
Atacadão card in 2018. With over one and a half million holders, 
Carrefour is thus the fifth largest card issuer in the country. 
By acquiring a stake in Ewally, a FinTech specialising in digital 
financial services, the Group will grant access to new payment 
facilities for the 45 million Brazilian consumers who do not have 
bank accounts. 

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CARREFOUR — ANNUAL REPORT 2019

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35

CARREFOUR — ANNUAL REPORT 2019 
CHAPTER — 2

Becoming the leader in the food transition for all, how?

BY SETTING
STANDARD FOR AN OMNICHANNEL
UNIVERSE

Thanks to an integration of its physical stores and digital services, and 
supported by state-of-the-art logistics tools, Carrefour offers customers a 
seamless shopping experience with complementary purchasing options:  
the possibility of ordering online, then picking up purchases at Drive pick-up 
points or benefiting from fast home delivery.

D igital technology, which is now firmly ingrained 

in customers' daily lives, is a major area of 
development for Carrefour. To adapt its offering to 
new consumer digital habits, the Group is 
constantly innovating, offering its customers an 

omnichannel and digital experience, built on synergies between 
its physical stores, website and the carrefour.fr shopping 
application. Carrefour's goal is to be able to interact with its 
customers anytime, anywhere, in order to provide an efficient 
and personalised service that simplifies their daily shopping 
experience.

ASSERTING A STRONG DIGITAL AMBITION 
— Devoting 2.8 billion euros over five years to developing its 
digital services, Carrefour's ambition is to become a world 
leader in food e-commerce by 2022. The Group already 
generates worldwide sales of 1.3 billion euros in food 
e-commerce, up more than 30% compared to 2018. 
2019 was a key year in Carrefour's digital transformation 

process. The Group overhauled all of its interfaces and 
applications to offer a comprehensive range of services, 
accessible from a single site in each country, including: 
drive-up, walk-up, click and collect, next-day delivery and 
express delivery. Physical stores nonetheless continue to remain 
central in this context of rapid digitalisation. In addition to their 
traditional role as a physical distribution channel, they are being 
redesigned to become assets serving the Group's digital 
strategy. Positioned at the heart of the Group's multi-channel 
universe, they serve as preparation and delivery centres, as well 
as pick-up, return, refund and contact points for customers.

ROLLING OUT STATE-OF-THE-ART  
LOGISTICS TOOLS
— In order to support its development in e-commerce, 
Carrefour is continuing to deploy a state-of-the-art industrial 
and logistics tool. The Group's various logistics entities mobilise 
more than 20,000 employees and service providers around the 
world. They manage the flow of goods and information 
connecting every link in the chain, from ordering products from 
suppliers to making them available on store shelves or directly at 
the customer's premises. In this effort, the Group employs 
teams and advanced forecasting systems (for supplier order 
management and inventory management) as well as a network 
of automated order preparation platforms, equipped with 
automated sorters and designed to manage the handling of 

fresh food products. As part of its multi-channel strategy, 
closely integrating e-commerce and physical stores, Carrefour 
also relies on semi-robotised in-store order preparation 
solutions (dark stores). To increase the efficiency and 
responsiveness of its logistics and shorten delivery times for its 
online orders, the Group has set up partnerships with 
specialised operators to manage the last mile. In France, 
Carrefour also has the largest fleet of non-diesel trucks to 
transport its products. In January and September 2019, two new 
order preparation platforms were opened near Paris, bringing 
the number of order preparation platforms in the country to 
four.

FOSTERING A NEW ECOSYSTEM OF SERVICES 
— To complete their everyday purchases, consumers prefer 
practical and time-saving solutions that mix offline and online 
services. 2019 was marked by the accelerated openings of new 
Carrefour Drive pick-up points, where customers can pick up 
their purchases after ordering online. The Group now operates 
1,696 of these pick-up points worldwide, with 1,110 in France, 
including 281 created in 2019. In France, Carrefour is now the 
leading walk-up chain with 134 walk-up points. 
Home delivery is also gaining ground. Carrefour has expanded 
its offer in this area with new express services in many countries. 
The partnership established in July with Spanish start-up Glovo 
enables Carrefour to offer home delivery services in only 

46 
  million e-commerce sessions 
per month, on average

40%  
 growth in home delivery 
orders in France in 2019

30 minutes in France, Spain, Italy and Argentina. Thanks to its 
successful collaboration with the Rappi delivery application, 
Carrefour Brazil posted strong growth in e-commerce sales.  
In Taiwan, the Group joined forces with Food Panda and Uber 
Eats and in Poland with Allegro, the largest Polish e-commerce 
marketplace. Home delivery orders jumped by 40% in France 
thanks to the connection of 24 new urban areas. The aim is to 
roll out home delivery of Carrefour products in all French cities 
with more than 10,000 inhabitants by 2022.

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CARREFOUR — ANNUAL REPORT 2019

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CARREFOUR — ANNUAL REPORT 2019 
CHAPTER — 2

Becoming the leader in the food transition for all, how?

ACCELERATING  
EXPRESS DELIVERY

As the consumer demand for timesaving and flexible purchasing solutions continues to grow, 
express delivery services are gaining momentum. In 2019, these services were extended to all the 
countries in which the Carrefour group operates.

“Speed, choice, 
respect for the 
environment.  
Aided by technology,  
we have a concrete 
impact on consumers' 
daily lives.”

Sebastian Mejia — Co-founder of Rappi and  
partner of Carrefour Brazil

In May 2019  
we launched Rappi, the fast 
delivery app. My initial 
motivation remains my driving 
force today.

T he trend initially started in Asia, where two-whee-

led delivery is a deep-rooted part of local culture. 
In 2017, Carrefour became a pioneer in Europe with 
the launch of Carrefour Delivery Express, a solution 
designed in-house for the French market. At the 
same time, the Group’s strong worldwide growth has been closed 
linked to specialised partnerships with local actors, which allow 
Carrefour to develop new markets and gain new customers. 
By 2019, express delivery services were rolled out in all countries 
where the Group operates, thanks to a web of local partnerships. 
In France, Italy and Argentina, Carrefour has partnered with Glovo, 
a Spanish start-up launched in 2015 that offers 30-minute deli-
very services in 20 countries around the world. Belgium and 
Poland joined the Shipto and Szopi delivery service platforms in 
early 2019.

In Romania, the business volume for the Bringo application 
increased by 102% in 2019, with 323,000 orders placed in 18 cities 
with an average delivery time of 90 minutes. Since 2018, the 
Gourmandio app, which was co-built by Carrefour and Bringo, 
offers express delivery services for their cooked meals, with 
almost 25,000 orders delivered in 2019 alone.

Despite Latin America's relatively late entry to e-commerce, 
the region is also witnessing a strong breakthrough in express 
delivery services. In Brazil, Carrefour recorded more than 1.4 mil-
lion orders via the Rappi application, offering delivery services 
within 30-60 minutes. By the end of December 2019, this service 
was available in 37 cities and is continuing to grow.

In Argentina, the Group works with the Rappi, Glovo and 
Pedidos Ya applications, covering eight cities, and is continuing 
to forge local partnerships to safeguard operations in this very 
competitive home delivery market. Carrefour Italy partners with 
Glovo and Supermercato. In Taiwan, new partnerships with Food 
Panda and UberEats took over from Honestbee. Carrefour is par-
ticularly well positioned to benefit from this rapidly growing mar-
ket. 

The fast delivery application 
Rappi and Carrefour Brazil 
entered into a partnership 
for the sale and delivery of 
food products. Consumers 
can choose between a 
30-minute express service 
and one-hour supermarket 
delivery options, and pay the 
same price as they would in a 
physical store, thanks to 
Rappi's Carrefour-trained 
professional buyers, who 
shop for the best items on 
behalf of the consumer who 
placed the order.

37
Rappi services in Brazil are 
available in 37 cities

38

39

Paula Cardoso, e-business director of Carrefour Brazil and 
Sebastian Mejia, co-founder of Rappi.

CARREFOUR — ANNUAL REPORT 2019CHAPTER — 2

Becoming the leader in the food transition for all, how?

BY INTRODUCING 

INNOVATIVE GROWTH

FORMATS AND CONCEPTS

To better meet the aspirations of its customers in each of its catchment areas,  
Carrefour is transforming its network of stores and developing innovative formats, 
which are key growth drivers for the Group.

Driving a new dynamic in hypermarkets, expanding 

its non-food offer through targeted partnerships, 
responding to the broad diversity of consumption 
habits by developing a portfolio of diversified and 
complementary brands: Carrefour is innovating on 

all fronts.

INNOVATING IN STORE
— Long known as the Group's traditional format, the 
hypermarket is now transforming to become even more 
attractive, modern and welcoming. In 2019, this transformation 
picked up even more steam. In order to improve the customer 
experience, part of the hypermarkets' retail space was 
reallocated to services or the shopping mall, while new 
specialised high value-added spaces have also been developed. 
In France, the “Fresh Avenues”, attractive food service areas, 
propose take-out and in-store meals at store entrances.  
They were developed in Dijon, Flins-sur-Seine, Marseille and 
Anglet. 
The Beauté Plurielle aspirational concept, designed in 
partnership with L'Oréal to revitalise health & beauty in 
supermarkets, was introduced in six hypermarkets, where it met 

with great success. 48 Bio Experience spaces, selling more than 
3,000 organic products on surfaces ranging from 500 m² to 
600 m², 33 pet shop corners and 22 clearance outlets for 
non-food products were also created in hypermarkets 
throughout 2019.
To widen its non-food offer and introduce brands usually 
reserved for specialised networks, Carrefour has committed to 
developing the shop-in-shop model with partner brands. 
Regarding household appliances, the two Fnac Darty spaces 
tested since the end of 2018 in the Ville-du-Bois and Limoges 
hypermarkets confirmed their potential in 2019.  
The deployment of some 30 of these spaces is planned.  
A partnership was also set up with the Aubert children's retail 
chain: a 280 m² corner offering a range of 4,000 baby hygiene, 
textile and childcare products opened in November 2019 in the 
Claye-Souilly hypermarket. 

ACCELERATING THE MOST PROMISING 
FORMATS
— Consumption habits have become fragmented. In order to 
adapt, Carrefour is focusing on developing promising new 
formats with differentiated offers and competitive positioning.
Convenience stores have recorded the strongest growth within 
the Group, with 1,042 store openings since 2018.  
The development of this format, which is best suited to the 
specific needs of local customers, is a priority for Carrefour, 

1,042  

 convenience stores opened 
worldwide since 2018

20 
 Atacadão store openings 
 in Brazil in 2019

546  
 new franchised stores joined 
Carrefour in Italy in 2019

43  
 new Bio Experience spaces 
opened in France in 2019

which has set a target of 2,700 openings as part of the Carrefour 
2022 plan. Carrefour Italy considerably strengthened its local 
network in 2019 by signing a franchise agreement with 546 new 
stores that will operate under the Carrefour Market and 
Carrefour Express banners in the centre and south of the 
country, in addition to acquiring 28 Conad outlets in Lombardy.
Carrefour is also banking on its low-cost formats. 
In the third quarter of 2019, the Supeco chain, based on the soft 
discount supermarket model, opened its first two stores in 
France, in Valenciennes and Onaing. It offers a selection of the 
most popular products in the market as well as the possibility to 
buy in large quantities, all while maintaining a focus on quality.  
The cash & carry stores, which market a wide range of food and 
non-food products offered at wholesale prices, presented on 
pallets and sold individually or in bulk packaging, cater to the 
needs of professionals and individuals looking for an efficient 
and low-cost model. This format is very successful in Latin 
America. In Brazil, 20 new Atacadão were inaugurated in 2019, 
with the aim of maintaining the same annual opening rate 
through 2022. In Argentina, the store base continues to 
transform, with the conversion of 22 hypermarkets to the Maxi 
format in 2019. The format is also expanding in Europe.  
The Promocash brand is the local partner of catering 
professionals throughout France.
Organic formats are booming in Europe. With the opening of 
the first Carrefour Bio in Warsaw, Poland became the fourth 
country in the Group to open a 100% organic store. Following 
the acquisition of the specialist So.bio in 2018, Carrefour France 
opened the largest organic store in Paris (800 m², 10,000 items) 
under this brand name in July 2019, on Rue de Sèvres. A second 
outlet opened in Essonne in November. 

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CARREFOUR — ANNUAL REPORT 2019

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41

CARREFOUR — ANNUAL REPORT 2019CHAPTER — 2

Becoming the leader in the food transition for all, how?

CONSERVING 

THE PLANET'S 

RESOURCES

Carrefour is developing a sustainable and environmentally friendly business 
model that extends throughout its value chain: from sourcing, logistics and 
stores to its relations across its entire ecosystem.

C ombating deforestation, limiting overfishing and 

food waste, recycling waste, optimising the 
energy efficiency of its stores, developing 
alternative modes of transport: Carrefour is taking 
action on all fronts to safeguard the environment.

PROTECTING BIODIVERSITY
— With regard to sourcing, Carrefour has set strict 
environmental compliance rules for its suppliers. The Group is 
committed to eliminating the deforestation associated with the 
raw materials contained in its products. As part of its "Zero 
Deforestation by 2020" policy, Carrefour is focusing on 
improving the supply chains of four priority raw materials: palm 
oil, soy, wood/paper, and Brazilian beef. Another 22 sensitive 
raw materials are subject to additional targeted actions. 

Carrefour also promotes responsible fishing: in 2018, the Group 
committed to offering the widest range of sustainable fishing 
and aquaculture products on the market by 2022. In 2019, 47.5% 
of Carrefour's branded products were issued in this way. 

COMBATING FOOD WASTE
— Carrefour is committed to reducing its food waste by 50% by 
2025. Its stores are deploying solutions to sell products rather 
than wasting them: repackaging items; offering baskets of 
unsold goods at low prices in France, Spain, Italy, Belgium and 
Poland; creating short-term promotions; and deploying aisle 
displays dedicated to products with a use-by date that has 
passed. The Group is also introducing anti-waste programs, 
country by country. In Brazil, the UNICAS range offers fruits and 
vegetables with minor defects at reduced prices in 
74 hypermarkets and supermarkets in the state of Sao Paulo. 
Taiwan has launched an offer based on the same principle. 
Carrefour is also finding use in unsold food by donating it to 
charities, representing the equivalent of 105 million meals in 
2019. In Brazil, Spain and France, 100% of hypermarkets have set 
up partnerships with food banks. 

LIMITING THE ENVIRONMENTAL  
IMPACT OF ITS SITES
— The Group is working to reduce the environmental impact of 
its stores, warehouses and platforms. Carrefour is involved in 

developing and structuring waste sorting and recovery channels 
in the countries where it operates. It also encourages the 
implementation of innovative solutions across its store network, 
including the production of biomethane and compost and the 
pooling of waste collection. In this way, 66.8% of the waste from 
Carrefour hypermarkets and supermarkets was recovered in 
2019, with a target of 100% by 2025.
The Group also takes care to preserve water resources. 
Carrefour Brazil monitors the water consumption of 100% of its 
stores in real time and has set up a program to overhaul its 
hydraulic network in order to combat water scarcity. All of the 
Group’s countries are planning to set up a Bee Plan by 2020, 
including the installation of beehives on store roofs to support 
peri-urban beekeeping. In France, Italy and Spain, the Group has 
introduced a sustainable and environmentally friendly 
construction policy, which is supported by BREEAM (Building 
Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) 
certification. One hundred percent of shopping centres under 
construction or undergoing expansion have now been 
BREEAM-certified.

FIGHTING CLIMATE CHANGE 
— Carrefour has set itself a target of reducing its global CO2 
emissions by 40% by 2025 and by 70% by 2050 (compared to 
2010 levels). The Group has mobilized all of its countries to 
improve the energy efficiency of its stores: replacing cold 

EXPANDING THE 
BIOMETHANE FLEET

Carrefour is expanding its fleet of 
delivery vehicles running on 
biomethane, a fuel derived from 
the recovery of nonconsumable 
waste from its own stores. 
These vehicles make it possible to 
reduce CO2 emissions by 75%, 
eliminate fine particle emissions 
and reduce noise pollution by 
50%. Carrefour France's fleet 
includes 300 active biomethane 
trucks, or 8% of its total fleet, and 
delivers to Paris, Lyon, Bordeaux 
and Lille. In 2019, they covered 
17 million kilometres, the 
equivalent of 40 trips from the 
Earth to the Moon and back, 
saving around 13,000 tonnes of 
CO2.

production equipment with lower-emission installations, using 
low-energy LED lighting, increasing the use of renewable 
energies, etc.
Carrefour is also modernizing its logistics fleet by introducing 
vehicles that run on biomethane, which are less polluting and 
less noisy. In each country, the supply chain teams work closely 
with transporters to improve the loading of trucks, optimize the 
distances travelled and promote alternative modes of transport.
Carrefour is also reducing its indirect emissions, i.e. those linked 
to the products it sells, by supporting its national brand suppliers 
in adopting a climate commitment and by working to improve 
its own brand channels. Carrefour Banque also offers savings 
instruments, the majority of whose assets are invested in 
companies in the food supply chain selected for their 
sustainable development practices.

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CARREFOUR — ANNUAL REPORT 2019

43
43

CARREFOUR — ANNUAL REPORT 2019Becoming the 
leader in

THE FOOD

TRANSITION 

FOR ALL,

CHAPTER — 3

WITH WHOM?

Backed by the commitment of our 321,000 employees, 
Carrefour's transformation is well underway.  
Alongside our producers, our suppliers, our partners  
in the agri-food chain, our customers and various 
community leaders, we are working together to build  
a new model.

44
44

CARREFOUR — ANNUAL REPORT 2019

45
45

CARREFOUR — ANNUAL REPORT 2019 
 
OUR BUSINESS MODEL, 

GENERATING 

SHARED VALUE

CHAPTER — 3
Becoming the leader in the food transition for all, with whom?

OUR CHALLENGES

f New eating behaviours f Consumer behaviours transformed by digital technology  
f  Duty to provide affordable healthy food f Revisiting the agricultural model f The need to preserve natural 

resources f More intense competitive pressure

f Skills of our employees f Responsible and multicultural approach f Broad geographic footprint  
f Ability to adapt to production and consumption modes

OUR ASSETS

Capital and resources

FINANCIAL & ECONOMIC CAPITAL

f 12,225 stores and 1,696 Drive outlets worldwide
f Over 30 host countries
f €80.7 billion in gross sales
f  €2,656 million in other income (finance 

companies, real estate development, leases)

f €86 million in financial income

HUMAN & INTELLECTUAL CAPITAL

f 321,383 employees worldwide  
f  300 job families
f   Worldwide agreement signed with the UNI 

Global Union

f  Act for Change managerial programme

RELATIONAL CAPITAL

f 77 million customer households
f 1 worldwide e-commerce site
f 57 million loyalty cardholders
f 14 international partnerships
f 2,600 production facilities in Europe 
f 27,800 CQL partner producers
f Strategic partnerships and alliances  
f €7.5 million budget allocated by the Carrefour 

Foundation

NATURAL & 
ENVIRONMENTAL CAPITAL

f  Fossil and renewable energies
f  Use of different materials, such as plastic, 

cardboard, etc.

f  Use of natural resources from oceans, forests, 

land and other ecosystems

f Water consumption

Order 
fulfilment 
centres

Processing
facilities

Production 
facilities

Services
• Banking and
insurance
• Travel agency
• Vehicle hire

Drive

Stores

Shopping
centres

Service
stations

CONSUMERS

CATERING
PROFESSIONALS

Pedestrian
Drive

Convenience stores
and Services
(Relais Colis, La Poste, ticket booking)

Home
delivery

Warehouses

Cash & Carry

Head offices
and Carrefour Lab

Flow of goods

 Suppliers’ operations

 Producers’ operations

 Integrated and franchised Carrefour operations

Creating shared value

FINANCIAL & ECONOMIC CAPITAL

f  €359 million in dividends paid to parent 

company shareholders

f €980 million in income and other taxes
f €1,695 million in payroll taxes
f €338 million in net finance costs
f  €424 million in expenses on financial  

transactions

HUMAN & INTELLECTUAL CAPITAL

f €7,545 million in wages, salaries and 

payroll taxes

f Employee Net Promoter Score® (NPS®)
f 11.6 hours of training per employee per year
f 1,941 social audits performed at our suppliers
f  32% women among those appointed to key 

positions in 2019 

RELATIONAL CAPITAL

f 21 million fans on social media 
f Net Promoter Score® (NPS®) up 8 points in 2019 
f  €61,927 million in purchased merchandise 

and services

f 726 Carrefour Quality Lines
f  1,000 Carrefour organic product listings
f  105 million meals donated to food aid charities
f 74 projects supported by the Carrefour 

Foundation

NATURAL & 
ENVIRONMENTAL CAPITAL

f  36% reduction in CO2 emissions (vs. 2010)
f 67% of waste recovered and reused
f  10% reduction in food waste (vs. 2016)
f  48% of tested seafood products are from 

sustainable sources

f  4,095 tonnes of packaging avoided since 2017

46
46

CARREFOUR — ANNUAL REPORT 2019

47
47

CARREFOUR — ANNUAL REPORT 2019 
 
 
CHAPTER — 3

Becoming the leader in the food transition for all, with whom?

WITH 

OUR TEAMS

Carrefour relies on the commitment of its 
321,000 employees around the world – 
105,000 of whom are based in France – who 
work in stores, warehouses and head offices. 
To support its transformation process, the 
Group has launched the Act for Change 
programme in each of the countries in which it 
operates. It aims to enlist all its employees in 
the food transition. It constitutes the cultural 
and managerial dimension of Carrefour's 
transformation plan.
The Act for Change programme is based on 
four commitments, translated into concrete 
actions. 

01

48
48

GROWING AND ADVANCING TOGETHER
— This first commitment of Act for Change showcases 
Carrefour's internal promotion model: it aims to give each 
employee the opportunity to develop within the Group, to 
encourage a diversity of backgrounds and to promote 
cooperation.
a Favouring internal promotion. Each country within the 
Group organises career committees that review the skills and 
potential of employees in order to anticipate appropriate 
individual development. In France, more than 700 such 
committees were organised in 2019. Internal promotion also 
involves the implementation of learning paths that enable 
employees to advance into positions of greater responsibility. In 
Spain, the School for Future Leaders (Escuela de Líderes) 
trained 180 participants in store management over six months. 
A similar programme was set up in Argentina, enabling 260 
employees to acquire new technical and managerial skills. In 
Taiwan, the "Carrefour Taiwan Young Talents" programme 
enables young talents selected at the head office and in stores 
to acquire a broader vision of the Group's business and work on 
corporate projects.
a Valuing a diversity of backgrounds. Carrefour has 
committed itself to promoting diversity since 2004, when it 
signed the Diversity Charter in order to give everyone in all 
countries the same opportunities for professional development 
and recruitment. The Group employs 11,885 disabled workers. 
In France, its stores employ disabled workers at a rate well 
above the legal threshold of 6%. In Europe, this rate has 
increased by 20% over the past five years. In 2019, during the 
European Disability Employment Week (from 18-24 November) 
and the International Day of Persons with Disabilities (on 
3 December), Carrefour stepped up its initiatives to affirm its 
commitments: handi'réussite (disability success) workshops in 
France, a communication campaign in Romania, a donation 
from Fundacion Solidaridad Carrefour for disabled children in 
Spain, experience-sharing between employees in Taiwan, sign 
language training in hypermarkets in Italy, etc. 

Numerous measures are also in place to ensure gender parity 
within the Group, including a fair pay policy, access to training 
for all, and arrangements to facilitate work-life balance. 
Carrefour has 180,086 female employees, or 56% of its 
workforce. The Group carried out various initiatives to mark the 
International Day for the Elimination of Violence against 
Women on 25 November, 2019, including a poster campaign in 
all languages, the publication of a prevention guide in France 
and awareness films in Argentina, Spain, Romania and Brazil.

02

SERVING CUSTOMERS  
WITH PASSION
— The second commitment of the Act for Change 
programme makes customer satisfaction the number one 
priority for Carrefour employees, with the aim of 
strengthening service quality. Within this framework, 
Carrefour is gradually rolling out its 5/5/5 approach, a 
pragmatic plan to improve customer satisfaction. The "Serving 
Customers with Passion" commitment and the 5/5/5 
approach are detailed on pages 24-25 of this annual report.

11.6 

 hours of training per 
employee per year

48%  
 of executive manager 
positions filled through 
internal promotion 

41.2%  
 of management positions 
held by women

03

ACTING WITH  
SIMPLICITY
— The third commitment of Act for Change aims to simplify 
Carrefour's working methods, with an emphasis on smooth and 
efficient resource management, as well as to encourage 
exchange, initiative and rapid adaptation. In particular, the 
Group is gradually reviewing the way its teams organise their 
work. For the past two years, most of the countries in which 
Carrefour operates have provided head office employees the 
means to work remotely when their activity allows for it. In 
addition, Carrefour encourages the use of technology to limit 
travel. Other initiatives are also being developed in this area, 
notably through the increasing use of Google tools within the 
Group.

04

TAKING PRIDE IN 
TRANSFORMING OUR 
BUSINESS
— The final commitment of Act for Change aims to train and 
mobilise employees around issues related to our transformation 
plan, by encouraging innovation in the service of the food 
transition, but also by promoting openness to outside ideas and 
experimentation. The training programmes conducted in 2019, 
as well as the global "Act for Food Super Heroes" programme, 
are detailed on page 50.
Carrefour's cultural and managerial transformation is assessed 
using the Employee Net Promoter Score® (ENPS), an employee 
engagement indicator measured three times a year in all Group 
geographic areas.

CARREFOUR — ANNUAL REPORT 2019

49
49

CARREFOUR — ANNUAL REPORT 2019 
CHAPTER — 3

Becoming the leader in the food transition for all, with whom?

EMBODYING  
THE FOOD TRANSITION

Carrefour encourages innovation in the service of the food transition by promoting an 
open approach to outside ideas and experimentation. In order to enlist stores in this 
process and empower teams in the field, the "Act for Food Super Heroes" programme 
was launched in 2018 to highlight the initiatives of its most active employees and to 
share their best practices.

Rolled out in all countries where the Group operates, 

the “Act for Food Super Heroes“ programme helps 
in-store teams take part in the food transition. It pro-
motes the initiatives of employees who are the most 
involved in the day-to-day activities by encouraging 
best practice sharing, spotlighting healthy products, and organi-
sing events on better eating and cooking, anti-food waste and 
anti-waste initiatives. The programme has already identified 
870 "food transition heroes" and the Group hopes to extend this 
community to 2,000 employees. Every year, Carrefour holds an 
event to celebrate the superheroes, so that their solutions can 
inspire all the Group's teams.

On a wider scale, in 2019 Carrefour devoted significant 
resources to training its employees on the topics of fresh pro-
duce and the food transition, thus making it possible to support 
the launch of the Act for Food programme in stores. In France, 
new e-learning modules were introduced on the Carrefour 
Quality Line, hygiene and quality, as well as e-learning product 
training  courses,  carried  out  in  partnership  with  chef-led 
workshops. The Group also designed two different training 
courses in organic products. The first, lasting two days, aims to 
raise awareness about organic food among the employees at the 
Group's general retail outlets. The second, lasting five days, aims 
to professionalise teams working at the specialist stores Carrefour 
Bio and Bio Expérience. In Belgium, nearly 60,000 hours of trai-
ning devoted to the food transition and fresh produce were deli-
vered to 4,934 employees, in partnership with specific suppliers 
(Norwegian salmon, apples, oranges) and Carrefour Quality Lines, 
including training on organic products, blockchain, etc.

“Sorting waste, 
combatting food 
waste*: everyone 
can do their part, and 
that's how we all 
move forward.”

Sarah Fajele Abasse — Master 1 student and 
interning “manager” at Carrefour Market Bastide 
(Bordeaux, France)

On 22 September, 2018, 
during operation "Bastide fait 
sa belle" (Beautifying La 
Bastide) in Bordeaux, residents 
mobilised to take part in a vast 
neighbourhood clean-up and 
learn about eco-responsible 
practices. That’s when I 
decide to take action.

Act for Food commitments, 
concrete action for Sarah 
and the Carrefour Market 
Bastide team.
Inès, Director of the 
Carrefour Market Bastide, is a
a pioneer within the Group, 
and one of the very first 
superheroes of the food 
transition. As early as 2008, 
Inès had provided customers 
with recycling bins in the 
store. Another project, 
launched in August 2019, 
recovered 250 1-litre bottles 
filled with cigarette butts in 
the La Bastide district in 
Bordeaux. 

870
superheroes for the food 
transition. The goal is to reach 
2,000 by the end of 2020.

50

51

* Sarah is behind the distribution of anti-waste baskets  
(products having reached their expiration date) to residents/customers who 
collect a bottle of cigarette butts.

CARREFOUR — ANNUAL REPORT 2019CHAPTER — 3

Becoming the leader in the food transition for all, with whom?

WITH OUR SUPPLIERS

AND OUR PRODUCT LINES

Carrefour contributes to the sustainable agricultural transition by promoting 
responsible and environmentally friendly practices.

STRUCTURING  
THE ORGANIC COTTON INDUSTRY

In 2019, Carrefour worked with more than 4,500 small 
organic cotton producers in Madhya Pradesh (India) on a 
ground-breaking project combining product quality, fair 
compensation for producers and traceability.  
The Carrefour Foundation supported the installation of 
organic pesticide production units, thus enabling 
2,000 local producers to obtain better yields.  
This measure has been strengthened by the drilling of 
100 wells to irrigate the cotton fields. In addition, around 
1,500 farmers received training in organic farming 
techniques. Through its partner Cotton Connect, 
Carrefour ensures that producers receive higher 
compensation compared to conventional cotton.  
From sowing the cotton plant to the finished product,  
all stages are recorded to ensure full traceability.  
The first TEX BIO 100% sustainable cotton collection will 
be launched in spring-summer 2019.

T he Group offers its suppliers a commitment on 

volumes, over time and at fair remuneration 
conditions. In this way, Carrefour secures the 
production conditions for its suppliers across its 
various product lines. 

PROMOTING AGRO-ECOLOGY  
— To promote the development of agro-ecology, the Group 
has set up three-year contracts with its producers in the 
Carrefour Quality Lines who develop responsible methods: 
crop rotation, elimination of soilless crop production, no 
post-harvest chemical treatment of fruits and vegetables, etc. 
Carrefour sets rigorous specifications with each producer, 
covering production methods, taste criteria and environmental 
protection requirements. More than 3,000 inspections and 

1,000 analyses are carried out each year to check compliance 
with these standards. The Group also supports its suppliers by 
developing pilot crops and setting up progress plans to expand 
agro-ecology in its supply chains. Finally, it encourages best 
practice sharing by organising producer clubs and meetings. 
Two new Carrefour Quality Lines were created in 2019: one for 
Label Rouge beef, in partnership with the Cloé and EM2 
cooperatives, and one for ASC-certified and GMO-free shrimp, 
with Custa C and Pescanova.

SUPPORTING THE CONVERSION TO ORGANIC 
— In order to fuel the growth of organic product lines, Carrefour 
offers specialised support measures to producers in this sector. 
The Group provides its organic farming suppliers with three to 
five year contracts, committing to volumes and purchase prices 
while taking into account their production constraints. Teams 
from the organic market department meet regularly with these 
suppliers to ensure that their production matches the Group's 
expectations. Carrefour also supports producers in the process 
of converting to organic farming, once again by signing three to 
five year contracts, enabling them to secure investments 
through intermediate rates between conventional and organic 
farming and to offset the impact of reduced productivity on 
their revenues. These contracts are offered in France, Belgium, 
Romania and Taiwan. In France, more than 540 organic 
conversion support contracts were signed in 2019 with farmers, 

breeders and winegrowers. In Romania, the "We Grow Bio 
Romania" programme supports producers in the conversion 
process with administrative procedures, covering all associated 
costs, and advises them on marketing and sales of their future 
organic products. The programme benefited 75 farmers in 2019.

GUARANTEEING FAIR COMPENSATION
— In February 2019, Carrefour signed four agreements with 
Lactalis, Sodiaal, Yoplait and Laïta to raise milk prices for 
28,000 producers, with the aim of guaranteeing fair 
compensation for its partners in the sector. These agreements 
were supplemented in October by a commitment to purchase 
30 million tonnes of mountain milk. In January 2020, Carrefour 
also commit, together with Herta, to an increase in prices for 
the pork sector. In total, the Group has signed more than 

1,000 new multi-year agreements with local very small 
enterprises (VSEs) and small- and medium-sized enterprises 
(SMEs) in 2019.

OFFERING ADAPTED FINANCING 
— By granting loans through its finance companies, Carrefour 
supports producers and small- and medium-sized businesses in 
their agricultural transition process. In June 2019, Carrefour 
joined forces with several banks to create the first investment 
structure dedicated to the food transition in the retail sector in 
Europe. The funds of this new entity, endowed with 3 million 
euros over three years, are intended to develop suppliers' 
projects related to the food transition: conversion to organic 
farming, transformation of farming methods in favour of animal 
welfare, etc. 

THE AGRO-ECOLOGICAL 
BANANA: A FIRST

Bananas are the leading product in 
Carrefour's fruit and vegetable 
department, selling 140,000 tonnes 
a year in six countries: France, Spain, 
Belgium, Italy, Romania and Poland. 
A three-year project to develop a 
Carrefour Quality Line agro-
ecological banana, positioned 
between fair trade organic bananas 
and conventional bananas, was 
launched in partnership with Cirad 
(Agricultural Research Centre for 
Development) and the Group's 
historical suppliers: Fruidor in the 
French West Indies and Compagnie 
Fruitière in Côte d'Ivoire. Starting in 
2019, bananas have been produced 
with fewer insecticides and without 
chemical inputs. An elimination of 
chemical pesticides is set for 2022. 
The project will be financed by the 
investment structure dedicated to 
the food transition.

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CARREFOUR — ANNUAL REPORT 2019

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CARREFOUR — ANNUAL REPORT 2019 
CHAPTER — 3

Becoming the leader in the food transition for all, with whom?

CONTRIBUTING TO  
THE ORGANIC BOOM

Carrefour contributes to the development of the organic sector by supporting farmers, 
breeders and winegrowers who are starting a conversion process. Professionals already 
engaged in conversion to organic farming also benefit from the Group's support, in all 
countries where it operates, particularly in Europe.

“Producing  
and eating organic 
is a conversion 
process.”

Benoît Soury —  
Organic Market Director, Carrefour

On 2 May 2018, 
I joined Carrefour, after 
dedicating 25 years of my 
career to developing the 
organic market. Why 
Carrefour? Through its historic 
commitment to agricultural 
sectors, our Group plays a key 
accelerating role.

25%
growth in the sale of organic 
products in 2019

Benoît Soury, visiting 
Julien Carle, an organic 
market gardener in Berles-
Bois (Hauts-de-France). 

"A much more technical 
agriculture, more connected 
to the land, is more complex 
but also more interesting 
than what we can do in 
conventional agriculture. It 
implies a significant 
mobilization of manpower, 
but it is the price of quality.”

For nearly 30 years, Carrefour has been developing spe-

cific know-how concerning organic products and a 
strong proximity with agricultural industry players. The 
current approach is therefore fully in line with the histo-
rical continuity of Carrefour's actions.

In France, by the end of 2019, the Group was supporting 
2,000 producers in their organic conversion and development. 
It is thus actively participating in the creation and development 
of new organic sectors. For example, while Carrefour France 
counted only one organic carrot producer among its suppliers in 
2018, it now supports six producers in six different production 
areas. The Group is also working to set up a durum wheat chain 
to obtain "made in France" organic pasta, which will be marketed 
under its Carrefour Bio brand.

The contractual link between Carrefour and farmers under-
going conversion is particularly flexible: production volumes are 
not strictly fixed but, on the contrary, are adapted to contingen-
cies. Carrefour also protects the independence of its partners, 
refraining from buying more than 40% of any single farmer’s pro-
duction.

The Group decentralised its organisation in order to focus on 
the local market, with the Carrefour Bio brand pledging to offer 
fruits and vegetables grown only in France. Carrefour's 22 war-
ehouses are spread throughout the country in order to collect 
fresh produce, fruit and vegetables as close as possible to their 
point of production or harvest, thus favouring short distribution 
channels.

In 2020, the Group intends to expand this virtuous approach 
implemented in France to its other regions, particularly Central 
Europe, while adapting to the relative maturity of the organic 
market in each country. In Poland and Romania, countries where 
the market is still in its infancy, Carrefour is working to set up pro-
duction and processing channels, by organising meetings 
between organic professionals (producers, processors and dis-
tributors).

54

55

It takes three years to convert a farm to organic.  
"We support producers during the first few years of conversion 
by buying their goods before they are certified.”

CARREFOUR — ANNUAL REPORT 2019CHAPTER — 3

Becoming the leader in the food transition for all, with whom?

WITH OUR 

STRATEGIC PARTNERS

In order to boost its competitiveness and operational efficiency,  
Carrefour is stepping up its partnerships with key players in the activities and 
businesses that are strategic to its development. 

Carrefour is working with expert partners to 

develop the most relevant solutions for its 
customers in every area essential to its 
transformation: digitalisation of services, 
traceability of supply chains, combatting waste, 

enhancing its product offer, optimising purchasing processes, 
etc.

STRENGTHENING DIGITAL  
AND E-COMMERCE  
— To support the digitalisation of its activities, Carrefour is 
setting up ambitious technology collaborations. The Group was 
chosen by Google to be its first global food partner. In a shared 
digital hub of 2,500m2, inaugurated in Paris in March 2019, 
teams from both companies began their first experiments in the 
fields of data, artificial intelligence and machine learning 
techniques by applying them to concrete cases such as 
anticipating stock shortages. To develop more efficient delivery 

services, Carrefour has also joined forces with the Glovo 
platform in four countries (France, Spain, Italy and Argentina), 
with the Rappi application in Brazil, Food Panda and Uber Eats in 
Taiwan, the Allegro marketplace in Poland and the Bringo 
platform in Romania.

ENSURING FOOD SAFETY  
AND TRACEABILITY 
— Ensuring transparency around the traceability of the products 
on its shelves is a key priority for Carrefour, which joined the IBM 
Food Trust collaborative platform in October 2018. The aim of 
the platform is to set up a global standard for traceability and 
food safety between every link in the chain, from producers to 
sales outlets. Notably, it enables retailers and their suppliers to 
exchange information using blockchain technology. In this 
context, Carrefour worked with Nestlé to launch the first 
blockchain in Europe on a national brand, Mousline, in April 
2019. Their collaboration continued in November 2019 on the 
Guigoz Bio 2 and Bio 3 milk range.

COMBATTING WASTE
— Tackling environmental challenges calls for collective 
mobilisation. That is why Carrefour collaborates with other 
stakeholders to offer new solutions. With the Too Good To Go 
application, Carrefour wanted to help its customers identify 
unsold food at low prices. The solution has already been 

INVIGORATING  
LOCAL PARTNERSHIPS

In all countries where it operates, Carrefour participates 
in coordinating and strengthening the local economic 
fabric. In Romania, the Group founded the Varasti 
cooperative in 2017 with four local producers, located 
30 kilometres from Bucharest. It facilitates the sale of 
locally produced vegetables, contributing to the 
development of local communities. In 2019, 130 out of 
300 families of vegetable farmers in Varasti had become 
partners of the Group. Carrefour Romania also employs a 
full-time buyer in the cooperative, in direct contact with 
each farmer, in order to plan and adjust production 
according to needs. In 2019, the Varasti cooperative 
produced 7,200 tonnes of varied, high-quality 
vegetables – tomatoes, lettuce, greens, eggplant, 
spinach, etc. – in the Varasti area. In some seasons, the 
cooperative can cover 100% of Carrefour Romania's 
vegetable needs.

deployed in more than 2,500 Carrefour stores in Europe in 
2019. Carrefour, Système U and Veolia teamed up to reduce 
single-use plastics with the help of (RE)SET, a specialist in 
circular economy innovations that uses a collaborative 
methodology to design reusable packaging. Carrefour also 
signed a partnership in May 2019 with Loop to propose delivery 
services based on a deposit system in the Paris region. 

EXPANDING THE NON-FOOD LINES
— In France, Carrefour is opening up its hypermarkets by inviting 
partner brands to set up specialised corners offering branded 
products: Fnac Darty for household appliances and Aubert for 
childcare. The Group intends to continue building such 
partnerships in 2020. Also in its hypermarkets, the Beauté 
plurielle concept, which combines a chemist space with a range 
of health and beauty products, was co-developed with L'Oréal 
to adapt to new consumer trends. It was awarded the Sirius 
2019 prize in the Customer Experience category.

OPTIMISING PURCHASES
— In order to achieve economies of scale and better control its 
costs, Carrefour has entered into purchasing alliances, which 
began to bear fruit in 2019. With Tesco, product partnerships 
with the greatest savings potential for Carrefour are gradually 
gaining momentum, with 24 global agreements already 
concluded. In France, the Envergure central purchasing unit, 
created with System U, continued to record significant progress.

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CARREFOUR — ANNUAL REPORT 2019

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CARREFOUR — ANNUAL REPORT 2019 
CHAPTER — 3

Becoming the leader in the food transition for all, with whom?

WITH OUR CUSTOMERS

WITH COMMUNITIES

Consumers are the most important players in the food transition for all.  
Carrefour listens to their demands, involves them in its innovations and provides them 
with the tools to act as agents of the food transition.

Carrefour is committed to long-term partnerships with community leaders in order  
to promote sustainable and responsible practices. Sharing these points of view enables the Group 
to make progress in this direction, through a transparent and inclusive approach.

Our customers are committed players in 

sustainable consumption and have the power 
to change the game. That is why Carrefour 
involves them in its actions to improve food 
quality, preserve the environment and help build 

the new agri-food model.

GIVING CUSTOMERS A VOICE
— Carrefour continues to listen even more closely to its 
customers: in addition to its customer service department, 
which addresses requests throughout the year, more than 
3,100 external panels were set up in 2019. They make it possible 
to take into account customer feedback by modifying the 
recipes for certain products. In order to further involve 
customers in its strategy, the Group also set up online 
consultation tools on social and environmental issues, such as 
the "Mission Zero Plastic" citizen consultation on carrefour.
com, which received more than 11,000 votes. In Spain and 
France, Carrefour has set up "Clubs for Concerned 
Consumers", bringing together more than 100 customers on 
social media, who receive advance information and regular 
invitations to store events on various issues. The aim is to create 
communities of engaged customers to give them a voice and 
discuss the Group's new projects with them. 

SUSTAINING THE FOOD TRANSITION
— With Act for Food, Carrefour enables everyone to take an 
active part in the new food transition model. In addition to its 
in-store events designed for customers, the Group conducts 

with local NGOs to promote responsible and sustainable 
practices, evaluate them and take corrective action throughout 
its supply chains. 

PROMOTING THE SOLIDARITY-BASED  
FOOD TRANSITION
— The Carrefour Foundation conducts sponsorship projects 
that support the solidarity-based food transition, founded on 
three major programmes: anti-waste, sustainable and 
solidarity-based agriculture, and social commitment. It 
accompanies, develops and coordinates the initiatives carried 
out by teams in Belgium, France, Italy, Poland and Romania, 
and by local foundations like the Carrefour Taiwan Cultural and 
Educational Foundation, Fundación Solidaridad Carrefour in 
Spain, Fundación Carrefour Argentina, or the Instituto Carrefour 
in Brazil. In 2019, 31 projects related to sustainable agriculture 
were financed by the Carrefour Foundation, receiving more 
than €3,160,000.

special operations such as the Fraich'Kids edutainment 
programme for children in French schools and the Act for Food 
travelling caravan, which will visit 40 cities in Spain in 2019. 
Carrefour France is also developing Experience Boxes that offer 
customers immersive half-days to discover the daily life of 
producers: for example, a cheese dairy that produces Carrefour 
Quality Line Camembert de Normandie AOP or an artisanal 
Carrefour Bio Breton cider factory In this way, the Group is 
helping to connect all those involved in the transformation of 
the agri-food chain.

STEPPING UP ITS COMMITMENTS
— Carrefour supports its customers' responsible approaches by 
offering them solutions developed with its partners. To fight 
against food waste, Carrefour provides its customers with the 
Too Good To Go application, which uses smartphones to 
identify unsold food baskets at low prices. In 2019, Too Good 
To Go was rolled out in 2,624 stores across France, Spain, Italy, 
Belgium and Poland. Since May 2019, Carrefour has also 
offered its customers in the Paris Region a practical, zero-waste 
consumption alternative with Loop, a home delivery platform 
using a system of deposits and sustainable containers.

DECIDING ON FUTURE 
PROJECTS TOGETHER

The crowd-funding platform jeparticipe.
carrefour.com, launched in partnership with 
MiiMOSA, supported 55 agricultural food 
transition projects through matching 
donations and interest-bearing loans from 
4,500 contributors. Carrefour has invested 
1,290,000 euros in 12 projects, for which 
more than 3 million euros have been raised in 
total. 

D ialogue with stakeholders is a constant source of 

inspiration for the Group, from defining its 
strategic orientations to implementing its projects 
on an operational level.

COMPARING PERSPECTIVES
— Carrefour's corporate social responsibility (CSR) approach is 
transparent and inclusive: it is reported on and discussed with 
stakeholders, whose recommendations and critical 
perspectives enable the Group to improve its approach. 
Consultations with NGOs, public authorities, customers and 
investors are organised every year on CSR subjects: in 2019, 
they focussed on geomonitoring systems and triple-capital 
accounting. The Group is also committed to responding to a 
selection of questionnaires from rating agencies. 
In 2019, Carrefour set up a Food Orientation Committee, which 
brings together seven committed outside figures to put forward 
their proposals. They will support the Group in the 
transformation of its model, focussing on five concrete projects 
related to the food transition.

WORKING ON THE GROUND  
WITH NGOS
— For more than 20 years, Carrefour has built its commitment 
to protecting human rights, health, safety and the environment 
worldwide, in partnership with leading NGOs, including the 
WWF for environmental protection (1998) and the UNI Global 
Union for working conditions and fundamental freedoms 
(2001). The Group also became a signatory of the United 
Nations Global Compact in 2001. 
In each country, Carrefour involves community leaders in the 
implementation of its CSR policies, from defining its rules for 
purchasing raw materials to auditing the labour practices of its 
suppliers located in high-risk countries, as well as promoting 
eco-design in its packaging. Carrefour's teams work closely 

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CARREFOUR — ANNUAL REPORT 2019 
CHAPTER — 3

Becoming the leader in the food transition for all, with whom?

A COMMITTED  
GOVERNANCE

CARREFOUR'S GROUP EXECUTIVE 
COMMITTEE
— The Group Executive Committee strengthens oversight 
of the Group and closely monitors the implementation of 
its transformation plan, focussed on the transition of the 
food model. Chaired by Alexandre Bompard, it is made up 
of 15 members, including Group managers and individuals 
from other backgrounds who bring complementary 
expertise.

François-Melchior  
de Polignac
— Executive Director, 
Northern and Eastern Europe 
(Belgium, Poland and 
Romania) and Chief Executive 
Officer of Carrefour Belgium

Laurent Vallée
— General Secretary

Guillaume de Colonges
— Executive Director, 
Merchandise, Supply and 
Formats

Marie Cheval
— Executive Director 
Financial Services and 
Hypermarkets, France

 Morgane Weill
— Executive Director  
Strategy & Transformation for 
the Group and France

Matthieu Malige
— Chief Financial Officer

Rami Baitieh
— Executive Director, 
 Spain

Alexandre Bompard
— Chairman and Chief 
Executive Officer

Alexandre de Palmas
— Executive Director, 
Convenience Stores France 

Dominique  
Benneteau-Wood
— Executive Director, 
Communication for the 
Group and France 

Noël Prioux
— Executive Director,  
Latin America (Brazil and 
Argentina)

Amélie Oudéa-Castéra
— Executive Director 
E-Commerce, Data and 
Digital Transformation

Jérôme Nanty,
— Executive Director, Human 
Resources and Assets for the 
Group and France 

Pascal Clouzard
— Executive Director,  
France

Gérard Lavinay
— Executive Director,  
Italy 

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CARREFOUR — ANNUAL REPORT 2019 
CHAPTER — 3

Becoming the leader in the food transition for all, with whom?

THE CARREFOUR BOARD  
OF DIRECTORS 
— A key body in the Group's governance, the Board of 
Directors approves the Company's strategic direction and 
oversees its implementation. It considers and takes decisions 
on major operations. At the end of 2019, it is composed of 
18 Directors, including eight independent Directors and two 
Directors representing employees. Each Director brings 
high-level expertise and recognised experience in areas of 
interest to the Carrefour group: international development, 
market share gain strategy, social and environmental 
responsibility, etc.

COMPOSITION OF THE BOARD OF 
DIRECTORS ON 31 DECEMBER, 2019

Alexandre Bompard
— Chairman and Chief Executive Officer 

Philippe Houzé
— Lead administrator

Claudia Almeida e Silva (1) 

Alexandre Arnaud

Nicolas Bazire

Jean-Laurent Bonnafé

Flavia Buarque de Almeida

Stéphane Courbit (1)

Abilio Diniz

Aurore Domont (1)

Charles Edelstenne (1)

Thierry Faraut (2)

Stéphane Israël (1)

Mathilde Lemoine (1)

Patricia Moulin-Lemoine

Martine Saint-Cricq (2)

Marie-Laure Sauty de Chalon (1)

Lan Yan (1)

SPECIALISED COMMITTEES OF THE BOARD 
OF DIRECTORS IN 2019
— The Board of Directors has set up five specialized 
committees responsible for examining questions that it or its 
Chairman submits for consideration:

a Audit Committee
President: Stéphane Israël (1) 
Members: Nicolas Bazire, Philippe Houzé, Mathilde Lemoine (1), 
Claudia Almeida e Silva (1) 

a Compensation Committee 
Members: Nicolas Bazire, Stéphane Courbit (1),  
Charles Edelstenne (1), Lan Yan (1)

a Appointments Committee (3)
President: Charles Edelstenne (1)
Members: Flavia Buarque de Almeida, Philippe Houzé,  
Aurore Domont (1), Thierry Faraut (2)

a CSR Committee
President: Aurore Domont (1) 
Members: Patricia Moulin Lemoine,  
Marie-Laure Sauty de Chalon (1), Claudia Almeida e Silva (1), 
Martine Saint-Cricq (2)

a Strategic Committee
President: Alexandre Bompard 
Vice-President: Abilio Diniz 
Members: Nicolas Bazire, Philippe Houzé, Stéphane Courbit (1)

CHANGES IN THE COMPOSITION OF THE 
BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND ITS SPECIALISED 
COMMITTEES IN 2019
— The Shareholders’ Meeting of 14 June, 2019 ratified the 
Board’s appointment of Cláudia Almeida e Silva and 
Alexandre Arnault as Directors on 22 January and 24 April, 
2019, to replace Amélie Oudéa-Castéra and Bernard Arnault, 
respectively. In addition, the Shareholders’ Meeting of 14 June, 
2019 renewed the terms of Flavia Buarque de Almeida, 
Thierry Breton, Abilio Diniz and Charles Edelstenne as Directors. 
Thierry Breton stood down from his directorship on 
24 October, 2019, following his appointment as Internal Market 
Commissioner for Europe. 

— At its meeting on 20 April, 2020, the Board of Directors 
acknowledged the decisions of Jean-Laurent Bonnafé and Lan 
Yan not to seek renewal of their terms. In addition, on the 
recommendation of the Appointments Committee, and with a 
view to reducing its size, the Board decided against appointing 
new Independent Directors at the Annual Shareholders' 
Meeting to be held on 29 May, 2020. 
On the recommendations of the Compensation Committee, 
the Board of Directors decided to propose the renewal of the 
terms of office of Alexandre Arnault and Marie-Laure Sauty de 
Chalon at the Annual Shareholders’ Meeting to be held on 
29 May, 2020. It also proposed the appointment of 
Mr. Philippe Houzé as Vice-Chairman of the Board of Directors 
and Mr. Stéphane Israël, Independent Director, as Lead Director.
On the recommendation of the Appointments Committee, 
Cláudia Almeida e Silva (Independent Director) joined the Audit 
Committee to replace Amélie Oudéa-Castéra, as well as the 
CSR Committee. Mathilde Lemoine (Independent Director) was 
appointed Chair of the Compensation Committee to replace 
Thierry Breton from 23 January, 2020. 

18 
members, 44% of whom  
are women (4)

19 
meetings of the Board of 
Directors and Specialized 
Committees in 2019

THE FOOD TRANSITION  
ADVISORY COMMITTEE
— The Carrefour Food Transition Advisory Committee aims to 
anticipate changes in food consumption, to achieve 
commitments to the global Act for Food programme. It is made 
up of seven experts with multidisciplinary profiles:

 Lucie Basch
— Founder of the start-up Too Good To Go

Myriam Bouré
— Co-founder of Open Food France

Emmanuel Faber 
— Chairman and CEO of Danone

Jean Imbert
— Socially and environmentally responsible chef 

François Mandin
— Farmer from Vendée region

Caroline Robert
— Head of dermatology at the Gustave Roussy Cancer Institute 

Maxime de Rostolan
— Founder of Fermes d'avenir and Blues Bees

90.5%  

attendance rate at meetings 
of the Board of Directors and 
its specialised committees
as of 31 December, 2019

50%  

independence rate of the 
Board of Directors (4)

1. Independent Director.
2. Director representing employees.
3.  The Appointments Committee was renamed the Governance Committee,  

effective 20 April, 2020.

4. Excluding Directors representing employees.

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CARREFOUR — ANNUAL REPORT 2019 
KEY FIGURES 2019

Groupe Carrefour 
12 225 magasins
dans le monde

France*
5 274
magasins

Belgique
789
magasins

Pologne
906
magasins

Roumanie
371
magasins

FINANCIAL AND EXTRA-
FINANCIAL INDICATORS

2019 RESULTS(1)

Carrefour's results in 2019 are up sharply, driven in particular 
by France and Latin America. These results are visible in the 
Group's financial performance and in all strategic priorities: 
acceleration of growth formats, development of organic 
and Carrefour-branded products, outperformance in food 
e-commerce and improved price competitiveness. This 
momentum is further reflected in higher levels of customer 
satisfaction.

80.7billion euros in revenue  

(inc. VAT), up 3.1% on a like- 
for-like basis

2,080 

million euros in  
recurring operating  
income (ROI)

1,314 

million euros in net income, 
Group share

Geographic  
breakdown of sales

an increase of

 7.4%  

at constant exchange  
rates and comparable 
accounting standards  
vs. 2018

2.6

billion euros of debt,
or a reduction of close  
to €1bn at constant 
exchange rates

Asia
2.6%

Latin  
America
20.4%

Other European 
countries
28.9%

France
48.1%

3,485

million euros in  
EBITDA, or a margin of 
4.8%, up 10bp

1,301 

million euros in free 
cash-flow 
(excl. exceptional items)

64

1.  Data as of 31 December, 2019, IFRS 5,  

pre-IAS 29 and pre-IFRS 16

Integrated countries / regions

Franchised countries / regions

China (2)

Argentine
597
magasins

Brésil
464
magasins

Espagne
1 149
magasins

Italie
1 089
magasins

Taïwan
137
magasins

Autres pays
1 449
magasins

Pays / régions intégrés  

Pays / régions franchisés

Chine**

  * France métropolitaine. 
** Carrefour a cédé le contrôle de Carrefour Chine courant 2019. L'accord prévoit que les 234 magasins pourront rester sous enseignes Carrefour.

12,225 

stores

27,800

partner producers  
of the Carrefour Quality 
Lines

TOP 
2% 

of global companies 
leading the fight against 
climate change (maximum 
score of A on the CDP 
Climate Change 
questionnaire)

321,383 

employees, of whom  
56% are women

+25%

growth in sales of  
organic products

+8 point  

increase in the 
Net Promoter Score® 
since 2018

77 

million customer 
households worldwide

+30%

growth in food  
e-commerce sales

a France (3): 5,274
a Belgium: 789
a Poland: 906
a Romania: 371
a Argentina: 597

a Brazil: 464
a Spain: 1,149
a Italy: 1,089
a Taiwan: 137
a Other countries: 1,449

in more 
than 30 
countries

2.  Carrefour ceded control of Carrefour China during 2019. As part of the agreement, 

the 234 stores will retain the Carrefour name..

3.   Metropolitan France

65

CARREFOUR — ANNUAL REPORT 2019KEY FIGURES 2019

114% 

Score of the Carrefour CSR and  
Food Transition Index in 2019. 
This score was 104% in 2018.

This index makes it possible to monitor the performance of the Carrefour 
group’s CSR strategy and our implementation of the food transition. This 
result reflects in particular that Carrefour is ahead of plan in the reduction of 
greenhouse gas emissions, the development of agro-ecology, the reduction 
in the use of packaging and the promotion of diversity within its teams.

OUR PRIORITY SUSTAINABLE 
DEVELOPMENT GOALS

Carrefour supports the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by  
the United Nations, adhering in particular to seven priority SDGs. Carrefour contributes to  
the advancement of these SDGs by meeting the concrete objectives of its CSR and Food 
Transition Index.

01. 
NO POVERTY

02. ZERO HUNGER
a 50% reduction in food 
waste by 2025 (vs. 2016)
a 100% of countries  
roll out a Healthier Diet action 
plan by 2022
a 100% of countries 
implement an annual Act for 
Food communications 
programme
a 100% of countries 
 roll out a programme 
focussed on local products 
and purchasing by 2020 

03. GOOD HEALTH 
AND WELLBEING
a Ban controversial 
substances
a Ensure the quality and 
safety of Carrefour products
a Implement an action plan 
on workplace health, safety 
and quality of life in all host 
countries by 2020 

05. GENDER 
EQUALITY
a Ensure that women 
account for at least 40% of 
appointments to key positions 
within the Group by 2025
a Obtain GEEIS certification in 
all countries by 2020

06. CLEAN WATER 
AND SANITATION

07. AFFORDABLE 
AND CLEAN ENERGY

08. DECENT WORK 
AND ECONOMIC 
GROWTH

09. INDUSTRY, 
INNOVATION  
AND 
INFRASTRUCTURES

11. SUSTAINABLE 
CITIES AND 
COMMUNITIES

12. RESPONSIBLE 
CONSUMPTION AND 
PRODUCTION
    a €4.8 billion in sales of 
organic products by 2022
a 10% Carrefour Quality Lines 
products in the Fresh Products 
range by 2022
a Guarantee transparency 
and traceability of Carrefour 
products
a 100% reusable, recyclable 
or compostable packaging by 
2025

13. CLIMATE  
ACTION
a Reduce our GHG emissions 
(scope 1 and 2) by 40% by 
2025, and by 70% by 2050, 
compared with 2010
a Get Carrefour’s 30 biggest 
national brand suppliers to 
commit to GHG emissions 
reduction objectives in line 
with the Science Based Targets 
Initiative’s 2°C scenario

14. LIFE BELOW 
WATER
a 50% of Carrefour seafood 
products sold come from 
responsible fishing by 2020
a Reduction in plastic
a 10,000 of packaging avoided 
by 2025 (starting from 2016)

15. LIFE ON LAND
a Recover 100% of waste by 
2025
a Roll-out a Sustainable 
Forests action plan on 
deforestation-linked products 
by 2020
a Ensure that all new 
shopping centre constructions 
and expansions are certified to 
BREEAM standards and roll out 
BREEAM In-Use certification 
across 75% of sites in France 
by 2021

16. PEACE, JUSTICE 
AND STRONG 
INSTITUTIONS

04. QUALITY 
EDUCATION

10. REDUCED 
INEQUALITIES

17. PARTNERSHIPS 
FOR THE GOALS

66

67

CARREFOUR — ANNUAL REPORT 2019ProductsObjective 2019 Result 20192019 Score 120%1.  4.8 billion euros in sales of organic products  by 2022 €2.3 billion €2.3 billion 100%2.  10% Carrefour Quality Lines products within  Fresh Products by 20225.7%6.6%116%3.  50% of Carrefour fish sold from sustainable  fishing by 202040%47%120%4.  Roll-out of a Sustainable Forests action plan on deforestation-linked products by 202068%68%100%5.  Save 10,000 tonnes of packaging by 20252,446 tonnes4,095 tonnes167%StoresObjective 2019 Result 20192019 Score 134%6.  Reduce food waste by 50% by 2025 (vs. 2016)(7.1)% (9.7)% 136%7.  Recover 100% of waste by 2025 70.8% 66.5% 94%8.  Reduce CO2 emissions by 40% by 2025 (vs. 2010) (27.2)% (35.8)% 131%9.  2,000 employees identified as “food transition superheroes” in stores by 2020 500 superheroes 870 superheroes 174%CustomersObjective 2019 Result 20192019 Score 93%10.  80% of customers identify the food transition in stores by 2022 56% 66% 118%11.  100% of countries roll out a program focussed on local products and purchasing by 2020 60% 44% 74%12.  100% of countries implement an annual Act for Food communication programme 100%100%100%13.  100% of countries rolling out a Healthier Diet action plan by 2022 70% 56% 79%EmployeesObjective 2019 Result 20192019 Score 108%14.  40% women among those appointed to key positions by 2025 and 100% of countries roll out GEEIS certification by 2020 27%83%32%78%117%93%15.  Disabled employees to account for 4% of total Group employees by 2025 3.5%3.8%109%16.  13 training hours per Group employee by 2025 11.5 hours 11.6 hours 101%17.  100% of countries implement an action plan on health/safety/quality of life in the workplace by 2020 75%89%119%GET THE LATEST NEWS  
ON THE CARREFOUR GROUP AT  
WWW.CAREFOUR.COM

@GroupeCarrefour

@Carrefour

@Carrefour

Carrefour
Société anonyme with capital
of 2,018,163,760.00 euros
652 014 051 RCS Évry

Carrefour head office
93, avenue de Paris
TSA 55555
91889 Massy Cedex, France

Investor relations
investisseurs@carrefour.com

Shareholder relations
contact@actionnaires.carrefour.com

Shareholders’ club 
Autorisation 93261
92535 Levallois-Perret Cedex
Tel: 0 805 902 902
club@actionnaires.carrefour.com

Registered shareholders
Société Générale Securities Services
32, rue du Champ-de-Tir
CS 30812 – 44308 Nantes Cedex 3, France
Tel: +33 (0)2 51 85 67 89
Fax: +33 (0)2 51 85 53 42

With a multi-format network of 12,225 stores in more than 
30 countries, the Carrefour group is one of the world's leading  
food retailers.
Carrefour serves 77 million customer households worldwide and 
generated sales of 80.7 billion euros in 2019. It has more than 
321,000 employees working to make Carrefour the world leader in the 
food transition for all, by providing quality food every day, accessible 
everywhere and at a reasonable price. 

Project management: Carrefour Group Communications Department – May 2020.
Design and production: WordAppeal
Photo credits: Lionel Barbe, gettyimages, Nicolas Gouhier, Marcelo Justo, William Lacalmontie, Manuel Fiestas Moreno, Marta Nascimento,  
Jose Alberto Puertas, © Rappi, Fondation Carrefour, Greenweez, © Carrefour DR.
Graphics: Stéphane Jungers.

This document, which explores the food transition and reports on Carrefour's activity in 2019, is published at a time when the world is going 
through an unprecedented pandemic for our economies and societies. The Carrefour group would like to thank all the people who, through 
their contribution, have made this document possible and, more broadly, the unfailing commitment of all our teams.

THANKS.

68

69
69

CARREFOUR — ANNUAL REPORT 2019www.carrefour.com
@GroupeCarrefour

Société anonyme with capital of 2,018,163,760.00 euros
Head office: 93, avenue de Paris – 91300 Massy – France
652 014 051 RCS Évry

70