The French hypermarket chain founded in 1959 and counted among the world’s largest retailers is Carrefour.
Carrefour’s founders were Marcel Fournier and brothers Denis and Jacques Defforey. The group emerged in France in the late 1950s, and its first shop opened in Annecy in 1960. Carrefour’s first hypermarket followed in 1963 at Sainte-Geneviève-des-Bois near Paris.
That format brought a large supermarket and a department-store-style selection under one roof. The concept helped Carrefour expand quickly across France and then internationally, beginning with Belgium in 1969. The name “Carrefour” means “crossroads” in French, reflecting the location of the early store.
A frequent date confusion comes from the difference between the group’s creation, often dated to 1958 or 1959, and the opening of its first stores and first hypermarket. Carrefour is the retail banner, while Carrefour Group operates multiple store formats, including supermarkets and convenience stores.