Carrefour enters the capital of Hmarket: a partnership that triggers the Boycott storm

ByMuhammad

On September 11, Carrefour announced the acquisition of 10 % of the capital of the Halal Hmarket brand, for around 10 million euros. Officially, this is a strategic partnership to support the growth of the Halal market in France. But for many observers, this minority entry could be only a first step before a total control. In large distribution, the method is known: start with a partnership, take a small participation, then, in the long term, buy 100 % of the capital.

It is especially the immediate reaction of the Muslim community that marks this announcement. The influencer Hattek called for the boycott of Hmarket, believing that the Halal brand has crossed a red line by opening its capital at Carrefour, already strongly boycotted in France and in many Muslim countries for its lack of rupture with Israel. In recent years, Carrefour has also had to close its stores in Kuwait, Jordan, Oman and Bahrain, and faces strong boycott calls in Tunisia.

Distrust does not date from yesterday. Several influencers had already called for Hmarket boycott long before this participation, after having noticed that some stores included products stamped crossroads on their shelves. For these critical voices, the current situation is only the culmination of a drift: a trusted halal brand which, little by little, would let in a group at the heart of the boycotts of the community.

For Hmarket, the partnership with Carrefour represents undeniable logistics and financial support. But for some of the consumers, the risk of dilution of halal identity and an alignment with the practices of a boycotted multinational is now prevailing on promises of growth. The debate is lively: this strategic choice could transform a brand perceived as a community into a simple relay of an already disputed group, fueling a boycott which, far from running out of steam, seems to gain a new scale.

Avatar photo
Muhammad

Muhammad is a visionary thinker and passionate writer who has been contributing to Understanding Islam for several years.