Carrefour Belgium opens a store in France

Carrefour and Accor launch a BuyBye in the ibis Styles hotel at Paris CDG

Some time ago, I told you about BuyBye, the microstore concept developed by the Carrefour Belgium teams, with the potential to shake up the world of autonomous retail and franchising (see: https://vincentpanneels.substack.com/p/buy-bye-the-strategic-microstore ).
Today, I can finally share a significant milestone for the concept: the opening of a BuyBye in the ibis Styles hotel at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport.
In short, we can now say that Carrefour Belgium has opened a store… in France.

The BuyBye at Roissy CDG is a 6-square-meter concept, accessible 24/7 to hotel guests. The assortment has been curated to offer a selection of breakfast items, lunch options, and snacks, all available through a fully autonomous system powered by artificial intelligence (AI).

For Arnaud Lesne, Director of Innovation & Partnerships at Carrefour Belgium, this marks yet another important milestone for the project:

"With the Carrefour BuyBye at ibis Styles Roissy CDG, we’re combining the best of both worlds: Carrefour’s innovative, customer-centric retail solutions and Accor’s hospitality expertise. Together, we’re making life easier for travelers and hotel guests, at any time of day or night."

My 20/CENT

The BuyBye microstore concept has already proven its worth in Belgium, with locations at Zaventem, Publicis headquarters, and the NATO base in Mons. So, one must ask: why aren’t we seeing more BuyByes elsewhere? This format is the perfect extension to an existing retail outlet, and locations like hospitals, hotels, or student residences offer huge potential. Instead of investing in expensive, large-scale store formats or hypermarkets, wouldn't it be more relevant to expand the network with this type of microstore? Does BuyBye still need to prove itself with more data?

In this new Paris installation, the concept remains true to its principles and retains its main strengths: 24/7 accessibility via bank card, a well-thought-out and varied offer, perfectly tailored to the needs of Roissy-CDG’s public. Because let’s face it, standing in front of a half-empty hotel fridge or a vending machine with an unbalanced selection is rarely a pleasant experience. This is especially true for a customer base made up of business travelers, tourists, or airport staff, who are often on schedules that don’t match traditional restaurant hours. In short, placing a BuyBye in this hotel setting makes perfect sense, and I see no reason why the concept wouldn't be a hit. Let's hope the Roissy opening becomes a launchpad to inspire more adoption within the group.

To paraphrase a familiar phrase: “Knock knock, anyone home at Carrefour France? Because if you ask me, there’s real potential here worth exploring.”