Brazilian discount chain Atacadão opens in France for bulk buys

Brazilian discount chain Atacadão has opened its first site in France, promising bulk buy prices up to 10-15% cheaper than in regular supermarkets and hypermarkets.

After having been first announced 18 months ago, the store opened on June 20 in Aulnay-sous-Bois (Seine-Saint-Denis, Île-de-France), brought over to France by leading national group Carrefour as part of its 2026 ‘strategic plan’.

The store covers just under 10,000m2, and looks more like a warehouse than a typical supermarket. It is set to offer up to 20,000 items at prices up to 10-15% cheaper than usual brands, for people who are happy to buy in bulk.

The larger the item, the greater the saving per kilo, as with many other ‘cash and carry’-style stores. For example, prices up to 15% lower are available for those who buy rice in 20kg bags, or cooking oil in five-litre bottles.

The store also offers discounts for items at seasonal times, such as in the run up to Christmas or the back-to-school (Rentrée) period.

70% of items from French suppliers

Also on the shelves are items from Carrefour's own brands, major national brands, items from small businesses, fresh and local produce, and organic goods.

Carrefour has said it is working with suppliers who will deliver directly to the shop, without going through a third-party warehouse, in a bid to cut costs even further. This is the case for mineral water sold in multi-litre containers, for example. Up to 70% of items will come from French suppliers.

The store will also sell a limited selection of clothes, toys, home electronic and kitchen items, depending on the latest availability and stock.

‘Radically different experience’

The store is aiming to offer a “radically different” and “unprecedented” shopping experience for customers, said Carrefour chief executive Alexandre Bompard, in a post on LinkedIn.

“The Atacadão concept is based on a combination of different factors, including being the cheapest store in its catchment area, adding numerous accessible references for all our customers, and offering an assortment focused on essentials and supplemented by limited-edition purchases,” said Carrefour in a statement.

Originally founded in 1960, Atacadão was bought by Carrefour in 2007 for R$2.2 billion Reais (around €378m), and now has 366 stores in the South American country. It has also expanded to Columbia and Argentina, as well as Morocco, with 15 sites currently open there.