Carrefour talks with suppliers, to start India ops in 2009-10

French retail giant, Carrefour today held meetings with over 600 suppliers here as part of its plans to open its first cash and carry store in India.

The company, which had earlier said it planned to open its stores in India by mid-2009 has now extended it to end of this year or early next year. "This meeting had three objectives: to introduce Carrefour Group and its project in India, to return on the concept of the cash-and-carry store and to present the working specifications and the mode of collaboration with suppliers," the company said in a statement.

Carrefour India Managing Director Herve Clec'h said the meet was intended as a way of building relations and opening business opportunities for suppliers in the company's global sourcing network.

"Every market we enter, we work closely with local producers, farmers, agricultural cooperatives and manufacturers. In most Carrefour stores, around 90 per cent of the sold items are locally sourced. This concentration on domestic sourcing allows us to make valuable contribution to the development of the local economy," Clec'h said.