New names for the hypermarket and supermarket outlets mark the French retailer’s official exit from the market
Carrefour Taiwan locations have been rebranded to reflect new ownership, according to a report from CNA’s Focus Taiwan.
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The move marks the formal exit for the French retailer following Uni-President Group’s acquisition of its 60 per cent stake in 2022 and will see Carrefour hypermarkets renamed to Prosperity Plaza and Carrefour supermarkets to Uni-Prosperity from 1 July.
The company told CNA that under the terms of its licensing agreement and relevant regulations, it was only allowed to use the Carrefour brand through 30 June.
The rebrand reflects continued consolidation in Taiwan’s hypermarket sector, according to CNA, and means that Costco will now be the only foreign-owned hypermarket operator remaining in the country.
Despite this consolidation, CNA reported that Taiwan’s hypermarket sector continues to contract. Last year saw the closure of four Carrefour hypermarkets as well as A.mart’s Zhongxiao store. Mega PX Mart’s Zhonglun store in Taipei, operated by the Ruentex Group, is also scheduled to close in September due to long-term losses.
Uni-President chairman Lo Chih-hsien told CNA the trend is due to demographic changes, including the growing number of single-person households, which has reduced demand for large-format stores.
Despite this, Costco continues to expand in Taiwan with a scheduled relocation of its Kaohsiung store to a larger site in the city’s Cianjhen District. It will be Costco’s largest outlet in Taiwan.
