Europe’s oldest hypermarket turns 65

The Carrefour hypermarket in Oudergem celebrated its 65th anniversary last week. At the time, it was not only the oldest hypermarket in Belgium, but also on the European continent.

Major changes on the horizon

Where the Carrefour hypermarket in Oudergem stands today, a store that was enormous for its time—spanning 10,000 m²—opened in 1961 under the name “Super Bazar.” It later became Maxi GB. At the time, it was the largest store in all of Europe in terms of floor space. The managers of the former Grand Bazar group drew their inspiration from the United States. The French Carrefour group’s first hypermarket didn’t open until two years later, on June 15, 1963, in Sainte-Geneviève-des-Bois near Paris, covering an area of “only” 2,500 m².

After Carrefour acquired the GIB Group in 2000, the hypermarket was converted to the Carrefour hypermarket concept in 2001. Last week, the store celebrated its anniversary with, among other things, a free breakfast every day, a unique photo exhibition on the site’s evolution, and special offers via Scanmania. Major changes are on the horizon for the site: owner Redevco plans to demolish the existing buildings to make way for a new residential and retail development. The hypermarket, however, will once again have a place in this new development.