Carrefour's Strategic Expansion: 100 New Stores in Spain
Madrid, woensdag, 11 juni 2025.
Carrefour is strengthening its market position in Spain with an ambitious expansion plan for 2025. The company will open at least 100 new stores, with 95% of the locations being the compact Carrefour Express format. In the first half of the year, 46 new locations have already been opened, focusing on proximity and accessibility. The expansion is part of a broader strategy targeting small-scale, franchise-driven neighbourhood stores instead of hypermarkets. This growth strategy has already resulted in 691 new stores since 2019 and is expected to create approximately 700 jobs.
Expansion Strategy with Express Stores
Carrefour is focusing entirely on small-scale store formats in 2025, with 95 percent of new locations being the Carrefour Express format. The company currently has 1,090 Express stores in Spain and is concentrating on compact, franchise-driven neighbourhood stores [1][2]. This strategy aligns with a broader shift from traditional hypermarkets to more flexible and locally-oriented store concepts.
Regional Distribution and Location Selection
The new stores are strategically positioned in diverse environments, including tourist hotspots like Puerta del Sol in Madrid, campsites, and historic urban areas [3]. In popular tourist destinations such as Benidorm and Torremolinos, Carrefour Express stores have already become a fixed part of the local retail landscape [4].
Investments and Employment
Since 2019, Carrefour has invested over €150 million in the Spanish market, opening 691 new stores that have created approximately 3,500 jobs [5]. For 2025, the company expects to create around 700 new jobs through the planned expansion [6].
Market Position and Competition
With a market share of nearly 10%, Carrefour is currently the market leader in Spain [7]. The company has 204 hypermarkets, 162 Carrefour Market supermarkets, 1,090 Express stores, and 69 Supeco discount stores [8]. The growth strategy aims to compete with other chains like Mercadona by optimising proximity and accessibility.