IntroductionCarrefour is an international hypermarket chain in the retail industry, headquartered in France, the chain is now identified as the largest retailer in Europe and the second largest retailer globally. In 1957 Carrefour opened its first store in south-eastern France; and thanks to its success, the first French hypermarket was opened in 1963, selling both food and non-food products. In 1969, the Group opened the first international hypermarket in Belgium, continuing to introduce the Carrefour chain in other member countries of the European Union. In 1989, Carrefour opened the first international hypermarket in Taiwan, creating a foundation for Carrefour, which allowed the company to introduce its own brand products, insurance services and so on. In the 1990s Carrefour took over the French hypermarket chains "Euro Marché" and "Montlaur". This demonstrates the strong influential impact that Carrefour had in France, as the Group also introduced new services such as specialized traditional products and travel services. This subsequently strengthened the company's presence and status, as the chain was growing and expanding rapidly. Carrefour internationalized by introducing stores in Europe and Asia. This was achieved by taking ownership of foreign stores or entering the market through the use of a wholly owned subsidiary. Carrefour has had a great impact and influence on the markets it has entered; such that the introduction of the hypermarket sector has led to 16 hypermarkets creating partnerships with the Group. In 2008, Carrefour opened 1,191 new stores have led to the ownership of 15,500 stores worldwide, classified into four main store formats; such as hypermarkets, supermarkets, hard discounters and convenience stores...... middle of paper......such as the Plaza shopping center which will open ten days apart at The Sofia Echo in Bourgas on March 23 [Online]. Available at: http://sofiaecho.com/2009/03/23/693868_carrefour-and-bourgas-plaza-shopping-mall-to-open-10-days-apart-in-bourgas (accessed: 14 March 2011). McDonald, F & Burton, F. (2002) International Affairs. London: Thomson.Novinite, 2009. French retailer Carrefour opens first hypermarket in Bulgaria. (Online) [Updated March 25, 2009] Available at: http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=102237 [Accessed: March 9, 2001] The Free Dictionary, 2011. Wholly Owned Subsidiaries. [online]Available at: http://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Wholly+owned+subsidiary[Accessed March 28, 2011]Your Dictionary, 1996. Wholly Owned Subsidiaries. [online]Available at: http://business.yourdictionary.com/wholly-owned-subsidiary[Accessed March 26 2011]