Carrefour S.A.
| Carrefour S.A. | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Industry | Retail |
| Founded | 01/01/1958 |
| Headquarters | Boulogne Billancourt, France |
| Area Served | Worldwide |
| Chairman and CEO | Georges Plassat |
| Products | Clothing, accessories |
| Market Value | 28033.7 m$ |
| Employees | 364,969 (2014) |
| Website | www.carrefour.com |
Contents
About Carrefour S.A.
Carrefour is a French multinational retailer with headquarters in Boulogne Billancourt, France. It is one of the largest hypermarket chains worldwide and the fourth largest retail group in the world in terms of revenue after Wal-Mart, Tesco and Costco, and the third in profit after Wal-Mart and Tesco. Carrefour is mainly active in Europe, Argentina, Brazil, China, Dominican Republic, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Lebanon and Saudi Arabia, but also has shops in North Africa and other parts of Asia. Carrefour means "crossroads" and "public square" in French.
Engagement in Cultural Diplomacy
In the field of Cultural Diplomacy Carrefour focuses on its environmental footprint and ensures the long-term sustainability of its activities, Carrefour has decided to implement a global plan to tackle wastage. Furthermore, all the Carrefour stores are fully involved in developing the regions where they are located in different ways, e.g. partnerships with local producers, cooperation with companies and work integration associations, employment action plans, socially-responsible projects, sponsorship, patronage. Its mission is to strengthen ties between populations by supporting the development of people and communities in need and their integration. To that end, Carrefour is involved in food programmes supported by the Carrefour Foundation, through sponsorship projects conducted at country level and through the solidarity initiatives deployed by its stores and warehouses.
Employment Policy
Carrefour offers its multi-local retailing expertise and the skills of its employees to associations, particularly to promote the social and vocational reintegration of the chronically unemployed. Besides this policy, Carrefour engages also in gender diversity and youth employment. One of Carrefour’s initiatives was the Women Leaders programme which was launched in 2011 as a means of realising the Carrefour Group’s aims in terms of gender diversity. Furthermore, the Carrefour group has always made recruiting young people from the local community a priority. In France, the banner is one of the country's leading work/study recruiters – it hired 3,000 new employees on professional training contracts and apprenticeships in 2012.
Education
Grants and Scholarships
The Carrefour Foundation awards grants to young food and catering trades entrepreneurs. As one of the world’s leading private employers, with a business spanning a variety of professions, Carrefour, through its Foundation, prepares talented young people experiencing difficulties for the employment market. Among those supported by the Carrefour Foundation are food and catering trades, including bakers, pastry chefs and butchers.
Cooperation with Universities
Carrefour China and Capital University of Economics and Business (CUEB) signed a Partnership Agreement in Beijing. The CUEB is famous for studies of economics and trade, especially has strong academic and research capabilities in retail and circulation industries. The University's President Mr. Wang Jiaqiong and Carrefour China Executive Director Mr. Thierry Garnier. The establishes the joint collaboration relationships regarding talent cultivation, recruitment, internship, and expertise sharing by inviting researchers and Carrefour executives to conduct lectures on the selected topics. This is the biggest university partnership project of Carrefour China.
Notable Activities
Promoting Human- and Civil Rights
In partnership with the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), Carrefour has implemented a Social and Ethical Charter which applies to all suppliers of its own-brand products. In particular, these suppliers must adhere to the main conventions of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) as regards to wages, working hours, union rights, health and safety, etc. Carrefour uses specialist external audit firms to ascertain whether these principles are respected. In 2013, Carrefour ordered 1,333 social audits and 146 safety audits to be carried out at the production sites of its suppliers who are located in countries at risk. With regard to its employees, the Group acts in a practical and consistent manner throughout all of its countries to give them all the same opportunities for recruitment and career development. Employee diversity is an important asset for the Group. Thanks to diversity, changes in society can be more effectively anticipated and the demands of a wide and varied clientele can be better satisfied. Carrefour’s contribution to Society also extends to local solidarity activities, conducted by employees around the world.
Activities in the Field of Humanitarian Aid
Carrefour supports local sourcing and is a dynamic player in employment and the local economic fabric. It has a partnership with communities by offering food and emergency aid. For instance, the Carrefour Foundation serves as a support for solidarity actions and has a mission of general interest. It is active on an international scale on two main fronts: food solidarity and emergency aid. Stores and warehouses, which are in direct contact with customers, non-profit organisations and local authorities, make a major contribution to the realisation and setting-up of solidarity actions, through the donation of products and valuable financial and logistical support. The women and men of Carrefour personify solidarity. Each day, the mobilisation of Carrefour’s teams ensures the consistency, effectiveness and success of the undertaken solidarity actions.
Supporting Music and Visual Arts
Photography is a universal and popular art form which is supported by Carrefour. Carrefour organises exhibitions throughout the year in Paris and the Paris region. Moreover Carrefour is supporting France's bid to stage the 2025 World Exhibition. In 2014 Carrefour opened the major exhibition on "50 years of Franco-Chinese relations” in Beijing, organised by the Charles de Gaulle Foundation with Carrefour's support.
Supporting Sports
Carrefour supports football as it organised the Carrefour Cup which ran from 19 April to 7 June. This national tournament pitted five-aside teams against each other on urban football pitches, giving them a chance to share a friendly sporting experience. Carrefour has been partnering the Tour de France for 21 years with the famous polka-dot jersey that is awarded to the King of the Mountains every year. Furthermore Carrefour has been a long-term sponsor of local sports clubs and sports events throughout different countries.
