Carrefour is partnering with Sheikh Mohammed Hussein Al Amoudi's Queens Supermarket as it targets franchise expansion in Ethiopia.
Multinational French retail giant Carrefour has announced it is entering the Ethiopian market, in a move that potentially signifies Addis Ababa's increased willingness to liberalise an economically strategic sector.
Carrefour announced this week that it is launching in Ethiopia by partnering with Queens Supermarket, an Ethiopian company that is a subsidiary of the Midroc Investment Group, owned by Ethiopian-born Saudi billionaire Sheikh Mohammed Hussein Al Amoudi. The firms will collaborate to roll out the Carrefour franchise across Queens' existing stories in Ethiopia, with the first stores expected by rebranded by the end of June this year.
Patrick Lasfargues, CEO of Carrefour International Partnership, said in a press release that "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."
"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."
The move is significant as the retail sector in Ethiopia, like the rest of the national economy, was previously subject to heavy regulation, with foreign companies and individuals banned from operating in the Ethiopian market. This has been changing under the premiership of Abiy Ahmed, who, since coming to power in 2018, has opened up strategic sectors such as banking, telecommunications, and now retail to foreign competition.
Bernard Laurendeau, managing partner at consultancy firm Laurendeau & Associates, tells African Business that this development could help drive up standards in the Ethiopian retail space and create more opportunities in the country's market of 130mn people.
"Carrefour's entry into Ethiopia will modernise the country's retail sector by providing Ethiopian consumers access to high-quality, affordable products, a wider variety of goods, including imported and fresh items, better-organised shopping experiences, and international standards like efficient supply chains and a "farm-to-shelf" model for fresher produce," Laurendeau says.
Laurendeau believes that increased foreign competition in a space which has traditionally been dominated by domestic enterprises could be particularly impactful in raising standards, while connecting Ethiopian companies to the global market.
"Carrefour's expansion to Ethiopia, if executed well, will create brand new jobs, transfer skills, and integrate local agricultural products into global markets, enhancing export opportunities for farmers while linking local production to Carrefour's extensive network," Laurendeau tells African Business.
"If local entrepreneurs are included in the value chains, this will also help mature the budding entrepreneurship ecosystem."