Carrefour Streamlines Romanian Operations Through Merger

This unified company will be able to negotiate better deals with suppliers, distributors, and partners due to its increased purchasing power, the retailer noted.

Combining activities will eliminate redundancies across departments like marketing, HR, and technology, allowing resources to be focused on growth and new initiatives. A single entity allows for a more consistent brand message and a streamlined marketing strategy, it added.

The merger also eliminates the administrative expenses associated with running multiple companies.

Previously, Carrefour operated in Romania through six separate companies. Following shareholder approval, Carrefour Romania will absorb Artima, Columbus Operational, Carrefour Producție și Distribuție, and Militari Galerie Comercială into a single structure. This combined company will transfer all assets, liabilities, and employees to Carrefour Romania before dissolving.

Store Consolidation

In addition to the merger, Carrefour is integrating its operations by closing four of the eight Cora convenience stores it acquired from Louis Delhaize in April 2023. This deal also included 10 Cora hypermarkets, which are being rebranded under the Carrefour banner.

In other news, Carrefour opened two more hypermarkets in Constanța: one in the City Park shopping center and the second in the Brătianu neighbourhood.

In Romania, Carrefour’s network consists of 398 outlets, including 57 hypermarkets (including those taken over from Cora), 190 supermarkets, and 151 convenience stores.

ESM