Carrefour Reinvents Non-Food
Today, I'm taking you behind the scenes of a particularly interesting transformation at Carrefour Belgium.
I recently visited the Drogenbos hypermarket, which is currently serving as a pilot store for a complete redesign of the retailer’s non-food offering.
During my visit, Jochen Meuwis guided me through the different concepts being tested, the thinking behind the changes, and the first results already being observed.
And what I saw is definitely worth a closer look.
For many years, non-food was one of the major strengths of hypermarkets.
But with the rise of e-commerce, increasing retail specialization, and changing consumer purchasing habits, some categories have gradually lost relevance.
At Carrefour, the conclusion was straightforward: continuing to do the same things was no longer enough.
The retailer therefore decided to start from scratch with a comprehensive analysis.
First internally, to understand what was still working and what was underperforming.
Then by examining the market to identify current consumer expectations.
The objective: reinvent non-food, revitalize it, make it profitable again, and of course attract new customers.
THE MICRO-CONCEPTS
Carrefour’s response went far beyond simply reorganizing departments. The company created a series of what it calls micro-concepts. These are carefully designed non-food segments, each with a meticulously selected assortment. In some cases, Carrefour even delegates the management of a micro-concept to an external partner.
Around twenty micro-concepts have been developed. About fifteen of them were installed in Drogenbos in August of last year.
The idea is to surprise customers from the moment they enter the store.
To create moments when they think: "This is different."
This philosophy can be seen throughout the store.
For example, the huge television walls have disappeared.
In their place are a limited number of carefully selected models that customers can take home immediately.
THE RETURN OF BOOKS
Another interesting decision is the return of the bookstore section at the front of the store.
Books have historically been a strong category for Carrefour and also represent a differentiating factor compared with other food retailers.
The department is managed directly by specialized partners.
THE BE GEEK UNIVERSE
The area that probably impressed me the most is the Be Geek section.
It combines gaming, geek culture, and computing.
Video games, accessories, trading cards, Lego for adults, decorations, gadgets, specialized computer equipment, and even arcade machines.
The entire area benefits from its own visual identity.
The reasoning is interesting: gamers generally know exactly what they are looking for. They want to leave the store with the product immediately.
Carrefour has therefore focused on in-stock availability and the most relevant product references.
THE MATTRESS CORNER
One of the surprises in the pilot store is also the mattress corner.
Only twenty square meters in size.
A simple concept: see it, test it, and take it home.
Yet more than 300 to 400 mattresses have already been sold.
Proof that some categories can still generate excitement when presented differently.
TEXTILES: THREE APPROACHES
The textile department has also been extensively redesigned.
First, there is an outlet area offering batches of major brands.
Then there is Plus Collection, a space managed on consignment by Textilot.
And finally, a second-hand corner developed together with CrushON.
Customers can find well-known brands in an environment inspired by thrift stores.
This combination of new, outlet, and second-hand perfectly reflects today's consumer expectations.
THE SMALL DETAILS THAT MATTER
Several other concepts also stand out.
A sports universe combining apparel and sports nutrition.
An expanded pet-care offering.
A more inspiring home decoration section.
And even one surprising phenomenon: the sale of nearly 4,000 pairs of glitter socks every week.
Proof that impulse purchases remain a powerful growth driver.
THE FIRST RESULTS
What is particularly interesting are the results.
Since the launch of the pilot in August 2024, the store has recorded a sales increase of 3 to 4 percentage points.
Growing sales are important, but equally noteworthy is the improvement in margin volumes.
This makes sense: Carrefour streamlined several product universes and focused on products that genuinely sell, while introducing new concepts that answer consumer demand and generate faster stock rotation.
In short, the performance has been convincing enough for Carrefour to launch a nationwide rollout plan.
However, this will not be a simple copy-and-paste of the Drogenbos model.
Each store will receive a tailored selection of micro-concepts adapted to its local market.
WHAT SHOULD WE TAKE AWAY FROM THIS?
The visit to Drogenbos ultimately demonstrates that the future of non-food in hypermarkets will likely depend on greater specialization, more partnerships, and a stronger ability to surprise consumers.
Rather than trying to sell everything to everyone, Carrefour now appears to be focusing on creating powerful destination categories capable of generating traffic and engagement.
The rollout is expected to continue through the end of 2026.
It will be fascinating to monitor the performance of these new concepts on a larger scale. And you can count on me to keep following the story.
All photos on : https://vincentpanneels.substack.com
Non FoodHypermarketHypermarchéCarrefour BelgiqueCarrefourRetail