Carrefour, one of the world’s largest retailers, has continued its expansion into East Africa with its official entry into Ethiopia.
The French retail giant has forged a significant franchise and supply partnership with Queens Supermarket PLC, a subsidiary of the prominent Midroc Investment Group, which is one of Ethiopia’s private conglomerates.
This collaboration marks a pivotal step in Carrefour’s global expansion, leveraging local expertise to introduce its renowned banners, operational know-how, and diverse product range to Ethiopia.
Under this new agreement, Carrefour will work closely with Midroc to transform the latter’s existing network of stores, rebranding them under the Carrefour name. The first wave of this transformation is slated for completion within the first half of 2026.
The partnership embodies an ambitious growth strategy. It combines Carrefour’s international retail excellence with Midroc’s deep-rooted understanding of the Ethiopian market, aiming to swiftly overhaul the 13 existing outlets before embarking on a vigorous expansion plan.
According to Patrick Lasfargues, CEO of Carrefour International Partnership, this deal is significant in the retail group’s expansion plans.
“We are delighted to initiate this collaboration with a leading retail player in Ethiopia. Beyond the rapid transformation of the 13 existing stores, the Midroc and Carrefour international partnership teams are already working hand-in-hand on the future growth of our activities in the country: by 2028, we project the opening of 17 additional stores,” he said.
With this move, Carrefour continues to show that the franchising model is key to its “Carrefour 2026” strategic vision. The move fulfills the company’s objective to establish a presence in ten new countries through franchising, further solidifying its international footprint.
“This launch in Ethiopia is another milestone in the execution of our international franchise expansion strategy, which already saw us pass the 3,000 franchised store mark in October 2025,” added Patrick Lasfargues.
The move also indicates that the group has major plans for Africa as last year the French retail exited a number of markets in the Middle East. In accordance to Jemal Ahmed, CEO of Midroc Investment Group, the group is proud of integrating into Carrefour’s global network.
“By leveraging our deep knowledge of the local Ethiopian market, the dedication of the Midroc teams, and Carrefour’s excellence, we will be able to offer Ethiopian consumers high-quality, affordable products and an experience that perfectly meets their expectations,” said Jemal Ahmed.
