CarrefourSA Leads Transformation in the Organized Food Retail Sector with New Investments and Business Models 

CarrefourSA CEO Kutay Kartallıoğlu stated, "With our 30 years of experience, we will continue to grow under the CarrefourSA umbrella through new investments.” 

As a joint venture of Sabancı Holding and Carrefour Group, CarrefourSA is a leading brand in Turkey's retail sector, operating 1,100 stores across 60 cities with a workforce of 15,000, including franchise partners. CarrefourSA not only provides its customers with the right products at the right prices from the right producers but also continues to break the mold in the sector with new business lines and investments. Emphasizing their leadership in driving change and development in the organized retail sector, CarrefourSA CEO Kutay Kartallıoğlu highlights that, instead of focusing on growth in a single area, they continue to pursue a strategy of growing through the right investments across multiple fields. Kartallıoğlu added, "We are focused on growing as a company that creates a value ecosystem, integrating small businesses and entrepreneurs into the game." 

"We Welcomed 207 Million Customers Annually" 

In the organized food retail sector, not only have new service networks, business lines, and growth strategies undergone significant transformation, but customer habits and needs have also evolved. Kartallıoğlu underlined that CarrefourSA has been investing not only in its future but also in the future of the industry for many years, saying, "We serve 60 cities with 1,100 stores, offering 50,000 food and non-food products. We had 207 million customer visits to our online and physical stores last year. At CarrefourSA, we are not just a company that delivers the right products to customers at the right prices; we are diversifying our investments, especially in the food and beverage industry, HORECA, franchising, and exports." 

Investing in Growth with Small Businesses and Entrepreneurs 

Kartallıoğlu continued: "At CarrefourSA, we have created a system that supports and grows with all our stakeholders. The most concrete example of this is our franchise system, which we launched in 2020 and now includes 425 small businesses and entrepreneurs, 60 of whom are women. We are making steady progress toward our goal of a 1,000-strong franchise network, offering our franchisees CarrefourSA's product management, digital infrastructure, and logistics capabilities." 

Multi-Channel Growth in the Food and Beverage Industry 

"The food and beverage sector, which we have brought under the Lezzet Arası brand, forms the most important part of our investments. Starting in 2017, our journey to provide customers with a restaurant experience at market prices within our stores has now expanded to 14 Lezzet Arası restaurants in 6 cities, visited by 500,000 customers per month. In 2023, we introduced the cloud kitchen concept, offering food delivery services from two locations, Mecidiyeköy and MKM Etiler, with 10 brands. In 2024, we added Lezzet Arası Catering to our investments in the food and beverage sector, offering specially prepared menus for private events and functions by our Lezzet Arası chefs. Our CarrefourSA Professional brand is also a key player in our investments for the HORECA sector. We made our first step with our distribution center investment in Antalya, serving hotels, restaurants, and cafes. Following that, we opened our HORECA store in Bodrum Konacık, offering a wide range of meat and seafood products, making life easier for professionals. In the first four months of 2024, our HORECA turnover reached 3.5% of our company revenue. Our goal is to maintain this success with sustainable growth." 

Local Producers Exporting to 13 Countries 

As the first food retailer in Turkey to develop and offer private label organic products, CarrefourSA supports local production by producing high-quality, affordable products and exporting them. Kartallıoğlu highlighted that CarrefourSA is one of only nine countries within the Carrefour Group authorized for private label production. "Due to the quality and affordability of our private label products, our customers are including more of these products in their shopping carts. Dairy products, water, eggs, vegetable oil, rice, and chocolate, as well as paper products like toilet paper, paper towels, and napkins, are among the most popular. We currently have over 600 private label products, and this number will increase to 750 by the end of the year. The private label category, which makes up 17% of our revenue, is also strong in exports. Our private label products are exported to 13 countries, and we aim to grow even further in this area." 

Phygital Transformation is Inevitable 

Kartallıoğlu emphasized the importance of long-term strategies for the sustainability and success of growth plans, stating, "Digitalization and new communication channels are more important than ever in this transformation. CarrefourSA has been undergoing a phygital transformation in recent years, aiming to provide services through multiple sales channels. We serve our customers through both digital and physical stores. Our e-commerce channel receives more than 8.5 million visits per month, and we deliver 265,000 orders monthly. With 86 stores and our web warehouse, we provide e-commerce services across Turkey. In addition, during the summer, we serve our customers in holiday regions and on boats, offering services at 38 marinas with 25 stores, the Mavi boat, electric bikes in marinas, and drone deliveries. In line with our Fair Pricing Policy and communication strategy, we not only offer campaigns and discounts to protect our customers' shopping baskets, but we also ensure they can find the service they need, when and where they want it." 

Continuing Our Energy Investments 

"We must implement sustainable practices in every area to ensure the success of our new investments, growth, and transformation," Kartallıoğlu said. He added, "As a subsidiary of Sabancı Holding, we carry out our activities in line with the '2050 Net Zero' commitment. In addition, we began working toward the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi) commitment in 2023. By signing the UN Global Compact, we became part of a global network committed to a sustainable future. In the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) reporting, we were the only food retailer in Turkey to report in the Forest Program, raising our score from B (Management) to A- (Leadership) in palm, timber, and soy activities within one year. In addition, we maintained our B score in livestock activities and our A- score in Climate Change. Nearly 700 of our stores have Zero Waste certification, and we continue to work on waste and recycling. In 2023 alone, we prevented the contamination of 10,000 tons of drinking water by collecting 10 tons of waste oil. We saved more than 250 tons of food from going to waste. We also accelerated our investments in energy savings, exceeding 22 million kWh in energy savings last year. Our store parking lots continue to transform into e-charging stations, with 49 active e-charging stations currently in use. In the coming years, we aim to take new steps that will further advance both CarrefourSA and the sector.