Carrefour to spend RM1.6b on new hypermarts

CARREFOUR will invest an estimated RM1.6 billion in Malaysia to open another 16 hypermarkets by end-2012, its top official said.

The amount includes the possibility of the retailer having its own land and building, building on leased land, or leasing the building, said managing director Shafie Shamsuddin.


SHAFIE: French retailer is on target to achieve its projected 20pc growth

"We hope to have 30 stores by 2012," Shafie said.

Two Carrefour hypermarkets have opened this year - one each in Malacca and Kuantan. Other openings scheduled for the year include Tropicana City, Petaling Jaya and another in Johor.

Shafie said Carrefour is on target to achieve its projected 20 per cent growth. Based on its December 31 2007 results of RM1.32 million, the retailer could make as much as RM1.58 billion in sales this year.

Carrefour expects that its staff strength in 2012 to be around 8,000. The French retailer currently employs a total of 4,000 employees at its headquarters and 14 hypermarkets nationwide.

Shafie was speaking to reporters yesterday following its announcement to employ more disabled persons at its organisation.

The retailer now has 21 physically-challenged employees in various positions, including at director level to graphic artists and those working at the bakery and call centres.

"Carrefour has an ambition to increase the appointment of OKU (orang kurang upaya/physically challenged) to five per cent of total employees which will be about 300 to 400 in 2012," he said.

"We do not hire people because of their disability but we hire them because of their ability," Shafie said.

He said since transporting the disabled from home to work and back was not as as easy as offering them a job, it will be setting up The Carrefour Foundation. It hopes to rope in the government for assistance.

Through the foundation, which Carrefour plans to place a minimum of RM1 million to RM2 million annually, it hopes to be able to purchase vans to help transport the disabled employees from home to work and back.

Carrefour in Malaysia is operated by Magnificent Diagraph Sdn Bhd, which is 30 per cent owned by Syarikat Pesaka Antah. Syarikat Pesaka Antah is controlled by the Negeri Sembilan Royalty.

By New Straits Times (by Vasantha Ganesan)