Super Seven Stars Group, the franchise holder to the Carrefour brand in Myanmar, plans to have two retail formats in the country. The two formats are Carrefour Easy convenience store, which is based on the Carrefour Proximity model, and Maxi Carrefour, which is a wholesale cash and carry format store catering to both B2C and B2C consumers.
When interviewed at Tastefully Myanmar 2020, Thierry Hellot, CEO Retail at Super Seven Stars Group, said Carrefour Easy “‘will open before the end of 2020.” The opening of Maxi Carrefour will be “a longer process,” with one or two stores in 2021, added Hellot. The stores will be initially located in Yangon to “consolidate and develop the brand” before moving into other cities like Mandalay and Naypyitaw, said Hellot.
The positioning of Carrefour Easy will be different from other existing players in the market. Carrefour Easy will have more assortments and more organic products, said Hellot. The company has a supply chain that offers the ability to have more items for less square metres. The average Carrefour Easy store in Myanmar will be 80 square metres.
Carrefour Easy will focus on Myanmar products. Nevertheless, it will bring in quality Carrefour products initially from abroad and subsequently locally.
Carrefour Easy will be positioned as a store to fulfill the daily needs of the customers including having fresh produce. Carrefour Easy will be modeled after Carrefour Express or Carrefour City in other markets. There are plans to develop ready-to-eat for Carrefour Easy.
Maxi Carrefour will buy fresh products directly from farmers to ensure quality and to offer a more competitive price to consumers without going through intermediaries, said Hellot. This model will apply to non-food products as well.
