The hypermarket has-does he still have a future in France ? According to the distributors, this model of large surface area, cannibalized by convenience stores, specialty retail, and the Internet, is not dead. This mode of consumption says the “all-under-the-same-roof” remains in growth in the developing countries, but seems less relevant in the developed economies, where the customers with no children or older prefer stores close to home.
“This concept of distribution of mass, born in the “thirty glorious years” and thought in order to sell the goods, is no longer adapted to the societal context of un-crowding, ” said Philippe Moati, co-chair of the Observatory company and consumption (ObSoCo). As he was bathed in ” an environment of digital revolution “.
By its size, the hypermarket continues to want to appeal to all azimuths, even though ” concepts of precision proliferated, such as store formats in smaller, hard-discount, organic food store. The hypermarket is losing customers to all units “, adds Mr. Moati. And especially in its rays non-food. “Very few people buy their tv or washing machine in a hypermarket. Sales are in free fall, ” says the leader of a group distribution. But ” the hypermarket always has a great value “, assured Alexandre Bompard, CEO of Carrefour, on the 23rd of January.
Reduction of the size of the stores
The distributors do acknowledge that they are not, therefore, overcome, and explore ways to relaunch the model. Start by reducing the size of stores, some of which are more than 24 000 m2. Carrefour has the intention of disposing of at least 100 000 m2 by 2020. They will, on a case-by-case basis, reassigned to the preparation of orders by the Internet, turned into Promocash – the group’s brand aimed at professionals,…
