Carrefour leaves Turkey, but doubles down in Africa. Positive quarterly results

The major manoeuvres by Carrefour on the global stage continue, with a disposal and two new entries in Africa, a continent that has become strategic.

The group is leaving Turkey where, moreover, it held a minority stake in its local subsidiary: 32% while89% was controlled by partner Sabanci.

Aydin buys 100% of Carrefour Turkey

The entire stake is going to Aydin, owner of A101, a powerful discount chain with 13.000 stores, spread across all 81 provinces of the country.

Carrefour Turkey boasts a network of almost 1.240 supermarkets of various formats, generating turnover 2025 of approximately 1,6 billion euros.

But here too, as happened in Italy, the exit will not be complete, at least as far as the brand is concerned, which is being granted to the buyer under a franchise agreement for a minimum period of two years.

Entries: moving on to this aspect and disregarding the recurring reports of disposals in Belgium, Poland and Argentina, the French group landed, in mid-April, in Nigeria and Guinea, after launching in Ghana and Ethiopia between the end of 2025 and the beginning of 2026.

A101 owns approximately 13.000 stores throughout Turkey. It also operates online (Photo by AxisAce09, via Wikimedia Commons)

The conquest of Africa: 22 countries in 2030

In Nigeria development, now strictly through franchising, will take place in partnership with the local chain Hypercity, which operates four retail outlets.

“The Republic of Guinea (15,4 million inhabitants with an average age of, remarkably, between 18 and 19 years, ed.) has an economy with strong development potential, while Nigeria is one of the largest African markets, with 230 million people,” Carrefour points out.

And across the continent, the multinational intends to become the leading retailer within four years, with a presence extending to 22 countries, against a global target, also by 2030, of 60 countries compared with approximately 40 today.

Revenue up by 2,2%

The strategy of exiting far more competitive markets, such as Italy (to which, recently, in February 2026, Romania was added) is already producing good results, together with the continued drive towards affiliation.

The first quarter of the current year closed with turnover, on a like-for-like basis, up year on year by 2,2%.

In France sales rose, again on a like-for-like basis, by1,4% in value, alongside an increase in market share.

In Spain the quarterly results showed a commercial performance of +3,1%, confirming the country’s strategic role.

A small decline, however, in another key market, Brazil, down by 0,8%, a decline in value that Carrefour attributes to inflation easing, but also to volumes remaining slightly negative, in line with the first quarter of 2024.

The final significant point concerns openings: combining France and Spain, Carrefour opened 122 local stores between January and March.

This article was translated from the original Italian version with the assistance of artificial intelligence. In case of discrepancies, please refer to the original Italian version.