French retailer Carrefour opened two pilot superstores near Lyon, France, today under its new format, Planet Carrefour, as it attempts to boost sales in western Europe.
'We aim to reinvent the hypermarket concept,” CEO Lars Olofsson told reporters yesterday.
The reworking of the superstore, with increased aisle space, clearly delineated product zones and more space for categories such as frozen and organic foods, is a response to consumers' increasing preference for shopping closer to home, Business Week reported.
Fruit and vegetables are available in the Marché section of the store, where, according to Carrefour, tastings will be held on a regular basis, as well as cooking lessons.
This year, the company plans to open five Planet stores, according to Mr Olofsson, including one in Belgium, which opened in April, and two in Madrid, the first of which opened in June.
