New Delhi, September 09
French retail chain Carrefour is set to re-enter India. It has inked a strategic franchise partnership with Apparel Group for the Indian market. Under this partnership, Apparel Group will open Carrefour stores initially in North India and then expand nationwide
Nilesh Ved, Owner of Apparel Group & Chairman of AppCorp Holding told businessline, “We’re committed to bringing the true essence of Carrefour to India. Our stores will offer a wide range of products, including groceries, fresh produce, and other food items. Depending on the store format, we’ll also feature non-food items like household goods, electronics, and clothing.”
The company plans to open the first Carrefour store in North India in the summer of 2025. “Apparel Group will introduce Carrefour to India with 5 stores in the first year in Delhi-NCR region across three different formats, including hypermarkets, markets, and specialty stores. This partnership with Carrefour, one of the world’s leading retailers represents a significant step in strengthening our position in India. Our goal is clear: to offer the best products at very attractive prices to all Indian customers and make Carrefour their preferred choice for shopping,” Ved explained.
In a statement, Patrick Lasfargues, Carrefour’s Executive Director of International Partnership, said, “We are very happy to launch in India through this partnership and grow our footprint in one of the fastest-growing economies in the world. We will be expanding with multiple formats across the country to adapt to this dynamic country’s retail landscape. India is now the cornerstone of the Carrefour International Partnership 2026 development plan, marking a significant step forward in our strategy to expand into over 10 new countries by 2026.”
This marks a re-entry of the global retail chain in India. Carrefour, which was running its cash and carry operations, had exited the market in 2014.
Meanwhile, in a recent interaction with businessline, Apparel Group has said it has plans to open 750 new stores in the country over the next three years. The Dubai-based lifestyle and fashion retailer earlier brought Canadian coffee chain Tim Hortons to India under a JV partnership. The Group has presence in various geographies and currently operates 250 outlets in India under various brands including Aldo, Bath and Body Works and Charles & Keith among others.