French retailer Carrefour posted EUR 1.13 billion in sales in Romania last year, down 0.4 percent on the year before. The retailer managed to up its sales by 0.2 percent in the forth quarter of the year, to EUR 327 million.  Worldwide, the retailer's sales grew by 5 percent last year on the previous. Its European sales however, excluding the home market in France, took a dive of 2.3 percent. The Latin America operations brought the retailer a 14.6 percent increase in sales, while Asia, a 14.9 percent growth.

Of the nearby countries, the Poland and Turkey brought Carrefour increases of 11.4 and 17 percent respectively.

Carrefour will open two new hypermarkets in 2011, one in Bucharest, within the Colosseum shopping center in North West of the city and one in Botosani. It currently runs 23 hypermarkets in Romania and 29 supermarkets under the brand Carrefour Market.

editor@romania-insider.com