VMware helps Carrefour France hit 2026 digital retail strategy milestone
VMware reports that Carrefour France has achieved a milestone in its goal to move 50% of its applications to the public cloud by 2022.
Using Google Cloud VMware Engine, the retailer has completed the migration of all VMware workloads in France to the Google Cloud Platform.
As Carrefour Group now focuses on achieving its recently announced 2026 digital retail strategy, operations outside of France will also leverage the VMware solution and locally established best practices as they transition to Google Cloud.
By moving its VMware workloads from its on-premise datacentres to the cloud, Carrefour France says it has reduced IT running costs by 30% (in TCO calculation) which it anticipates will reduce the price of products on supermarket shelves.
It also claims it has decreased energy consumption by about 35%.
“Google Cloud VMware Engine has given us a fast and simple route to the cloud,” says Damien Cazenave, Chief Technology Officer and Chief Information Security Officer, Carrefour France.
“We were able to migrate on-premises VMware workloads to Google Cloud within minutes - it really is ‘lift and shift’. We’re excited to share this best practice with other countries as they execute our digital retail strategy 2026.”
Carrefour Flash
Carrefour recently opened a Flash 10/10 concept store in Paris.
The convenience store – developed in collaboration with US startup AiFi – is pitched as the first of its kind in France, and is located at 11 avenue Parmentier, in the capital’s eleventh arrondissement.
Flash 10/10 ("10 seconds to shop and 10 seconds to pay”) features a shopping journey that does not involve having to scan any products and quick payment.
Customers don't need to take items out of their bags. They can enter and exit the store without having to pass through a gateway. There is no need to download an app or register beforehand. And they can view their total spend in real-time.
Four employees will be on hand to open the store and oversee its operation. They will also manage its new e-commerce services (including Pedestrian Click and Collect).
The experience will be made possible by 60 HD cameras, nearly 2,000 sensors built into connected shelves, an algorithm for interpreting data and a proprietary tablet payment system.
Customers are tracked anonymously as a virtual avatar, allocated to them as soon as they enter the store. The products that they pick up are automatically detected and then added to their virtual basket.
Once they have finished shopping, customers get their baskets validated at a kiosk and then pay contactlessly. They can get an electronic receipt sent to them immediately by scanning a QR code. An automatic checkout kiosk is also available for those wishing to pay with cash
Carrefour Flash was tested at Carrefour's head office in Massy over a period of a year or so, during which the innovation team was able to refine the technology and adapt the concept based on feedback from employees using it on a daily basis.
