Gilles Ballot, CEO of Carrefour Romania: the year 2024 was one marked by expansion and the consolidation of the position on the retail market.
♦ About 50% of the population of Romania lives less than 15 minutes from a Carrefour store ♦ The French have over 450 stores under multiple formed.
The Romanian economy is clearly influenced by the political context and the legislative and fiscal changes that take place both locally and internationally, but on the domestic level there are still multiple opportunities, believes Gilles Ballot, CEO of the local operations of the French group Carrefour. «In the Carrefour group, Romania remains one of the important markets. Certainly the extension of the Schengen area (as an example) will have beneficial effects for the country. I think we will also attend a movement in the Romanian economy, with an increasing emphasis on local production and the support of small entrepreneurs. This is also observed from the behavior of consumers. » The executive adds that 93% of Carrefour products in Romania come from local suppliers. In this context, the French group continues investments on the local level. Gilles Ballot states that 2024 was a year with record investments for the company, most of the money being allocated to the integration of Cora stores, but also to improve the customer experience. «The year 2024 was one marked by expansion and strengthening the position on the retail market.» The executive does not provide figures, but says that the group will continue the investments in 2025. However, this year will be a consolidation. «This year is one of consolidation, in which the expansion focus will go to small formats. Investments in digitalization will continue, and the commercial strategy will be a priority. » Carrefour has over 450 stores under multiple formats locally, working online. In total, the sales of the group in Romania jump of 3.5 billion euros, according to the latest data. «About 50% of Romania's population lives less than 15 minutes from a Carrefour store,» says the Executive. He also states that international economic instability, but also legislative changes and new regulations adopted at local level could have a direct impact on consumption and purchasing power. However, it remains optimistic. «We will closely follow all these trends and adapt our price strategy accordingly. However, we believe that the scenario is most likely a volume increase on the Romanian market. »
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