Carrefour Romania and Cărturești expand partnership for ‘book islands’ inside retailer’s stores

Sixteen Carrefour hypermarkets in the country currently host 'book islands' under the brand of the Romanian book store chain Cărturești, following a partnership between the two companies sealed last year.

In 2021, the project was implemented in Bucharest, Iași, and Cluj. This year, 16 of Carrefour’s 43 local hypermarkets host such islands, where clients can find a selection of more than 50,000 titles. Depending on the size of the hypermarket, between 250 and 1,000 books are available in one venue.

“The partnership with Cărturești strengthens our position of supporters of Romanian businesses with a strong in-store local footprint, helping us offer our clients a shop-in-shop experience,” Julien Munch, CEO of Carrefour Romania, said.

“For years, Cărturești has been going where it is needed. Our projects have always tried to be where our readers are: in high-street bookstores and in commercial centers, in the capital and as many cities as possible in the country, in the Old Town but also Obor market. […] Some of the 16 islands in Carrefour hypermarkets give us the chance to reach readers in cities where we have yet to open bookstores,” Ana Niculescu, a representative of Cărturești, said.

The hypermarkets with book islands are located in Bucharest (Mega Mall, Unirii, Corbeanca - DN1 Value Center, Berceni, Băneasa – Feeria Commercial Center), Sfântu Gheorghe, Brașov, Ploiești, Bârlad, Cluj, Iași (Felicia and Era commercial centers), Constanța, Galați, Râmnicu Vâlcea, and Timișoara.

Cărturești currently has 38 bookstores across the country and in Moldova (Chişinău).

(Photo courtesy of Carrefour)