Noel Prioux Carrefour

Noël Prioux

French retailer Carrefour has appointed Noël Prioux as the new executive director for the group's French business.

According to a statement from the group, CEO Lars Olofsson has tasked Prioux with implementing a recovery plan to improve the performance of Carrefour France, whose first-half results were reportedly below the board's expectations.

Severe competition from the likes of E Leclerc and Auchan on the domestic market have hit sales at Carrefour in recent months.

Shares in Carrefour fell 6 per cent following the profit warning, bringing the decline to 14 per cent since the beginning of the year.

Olofsson, who had temporarily taken charge of domestic operations following the departure of James McCann in May, revealed that he would 'continue to oversee' the French business.

Thomas Hübner will take on Prioux's former role as executive director for Europe, supervising Carrefour's operations in Spain, Italy, Belgium, Greece, Poland and Romania.