CAMEROON—Carrefour Supermarket has announced that at least 27% of products manufactured in Cameroon will be available on the shelves of the new Carrefour supermarket in Bonaberi.
According to Guillaume Tanne, CFO of CFAO Retail Cameroon, customers will have access to approximately 3,000 local products, representing 27% to 40% of all products featured in supermarkets.
The Carrefour-CFAO Retail collaboration claims a CFA5 billion (US$8.31 million) investment in this initiative.
Furthermore, Tanne emphasized the growing popularity of local items in Carrefour outlets in Cameroon.
Notably, when the first Carrefour shop opened in Douala in 2017, only 1,500 local products were displayed, which is half the volume available in the new Bonaberi supermarket.
In addition to the Bonaberi venture, the PlaYce hypermarket is set to open in Yaoundé in 2022 by the same operator
The hypermarket will officially showcase 4,600 local products, constituting 20% of the more than 20,000 products sold in the shopping area.
According to Tanne, turnover generated by local products currently contributes to 40% of the total turnover, a notable increase from 30 to 35% just a few years ago.
Trustworthy sources suggest that the turnover for locally purchased products approaches 75%, with several brand providers being importers.
To further promote local products, Carrefour’s supermarket network in the country has implemented concepts such as the “Made in Cameroon Fortnight.”
This involves a 15-day promotion of local products, featuring tasting sessions, product displays, producer exchanges, fashion exhibits by local stylists, and various entertainment activities.
The most recent iteration took place from May 11 to May 24, 2023.
Aligned with the government’s import substitution policy, Carrefour collaborating with a network of 400 producers with the aim of prioritizing local products through these initiatives.
Carrefour Bonaberi is located on the right side of the Wouri in the Bonaberi neighbourhood on a parcel of about 6,000 m2.
It is CFAO Consumer’s seventh Carrefour store, which boasts a commercial area of 1,500 m2, 70 parking spaces, and two well-known restaurants in the country: La Force du Poulet and Carino Italian Food.
The launch of this Carrefour supermarket is poised to create 115 direct jobs for daily store operations, including 16 packers and 20 professionals in security and cleaning.