Paris based Carrefour is gearing up for its Indian expansion with a target of opening 10 to 12 cash-and-carry outlets across the country.

Carrefour entered Indian market in December last year when it opened first cash-and-carry store in New Delhi which was also the first cash-and-carry store in Asia.

Now the company plans to open an outlet in Jaipur, as early as next month. The company also aims to open an additional two stores early next year and more in the succeeding years. The outlets to be established will have a space of 60,000sqft to 75,000 sqft.

“I have already leased several sites in the country. For some others, they are in advanced talks. These will be operational in a staggered timeline,” said a Carrefour spokesman.

According to Anshuman Magazine, Carrefour’s expansion in India will increase the country’s large-format shopping precinct within few years.

Carrefour is also interested to engage into multi-brand retailing once India’s regulations on foreign retail investment become more lenient.

Other international retailers that operate cash-and-carry stores in India are German based Metro and US based Walmart. Metro has now seven stores since it debut in 2003 while Walmart has 12 stores in the country via its joint venture with Bharti Enterprises. The two giants will also expand operations with 50 stores to be opened within four to five years by Metro and 10 to 12 stores to be opened yearly by Walmart.

Carrefour has 9500 stores in 32 countries worldwide including franchisees, joint ventures and partners.

GB