The French-owned supermarket chain Carrefour hopes to start opening at least some of the stores that it runs in house on Sundays. Currently some Carrefour Market supermarkets and almost all Carrefour Express convenience stores are open on a Sunday. However, these are run by franchisees. Carrefour’s announcement concerns the stores that it runs in-house, including its 40 hypermarkets.
Carrefour plans to introduce Sunday openings and flexi-jobs at supermarkets that it runs in-house
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Carrefour also plans to take on staff with so-called flexi-job contracts. These are contracts whereby people that work at least 80% of a full-time contract elsewhere or are on a pension can work tax and social security contribution-free to supplement their income. There is an upper limit to the amount that can be earned in this way.
Carrefour is embroiled in fierce competition battle with other supermarket chains, some of which already open on Sundays. For example, 600 of the 750 Delhaize stores are open on Sundays. Albert Heijn and Intermarché also open for at least at few hours on Sunday and many of the Carrefour stores run by franchisees are also open all day on Sunday. The three chains that currently don’t open on Sundays, Colruyt, Aldi and Lidl are likely to follow developments at Carrefour very closely.
The Carrefour Belgium runs 83 shops in house. These are 40 hypermarkets and 43 supermarkets. There are more than 700 Carrefour-branded stores in Belgium, these include the Carrefour Express convenience stores that are run as franchises.
Carrefour is keen to stress that Sunday opening and flexi-jobs are no more than a proposals at this stage.