Yaoundé, July 5, 2022 – The PlaYce Yaoundé shopping center, built and operated by CFAO Consumer Retail, was inaugurated today in the Warda district, under the high patronage of the President of the Republic, H.E. Paul Biya. The event was presided over by H.E. Ferdinand Ngoh Ngoh, Minister of State and Secretary General of the Presidency of the Republic, personal representative of the Head of State, alongside H.E. Luc Magloire MBARGA ATANGANA, Minister of Commerce, Jean-Christophe Brindeau, CEO of the CFAO Consumer Retail division, Patrick Lasfargues, Executive Director of Carrefour Partenariat International, and Luc Demez, MD of CFAO Consumer Retail Cameroon.
After opening two PlaYce shopping centers in Côte d’Ivoire, this third shopping center not only validates the company’s strategy to be a pioneer in commercial real estate in Africa, but also its continued development.
PlaYce Yaoundé, the first shopping-entertainment center in the Cameroonian capital, is located in the Warda district, opposite the Yaoundé sports hall in the center of the city. As a real bustling community space, PlaYce Yaoundé is designed to ensure that everyone can enjoy a fun shopping trip or leisure activity. The whole family is sure to find something to make it “the PlaYce to have Fun!”
Jean-Christophe Brindeau, CEO of the CFAO Consumer Retail division explains “PlaYce Yaoundé represent the new generation of shopping center. At PlaYce, we offer a new shopping experience to the people: a large choice of products and services, affordable prices and several animations, all in a one-stop- shopping center. This project allows us to create 300 direct new jobs corresponding to 100 different expertises and 300 additional jobs around the project ».
Built on 35,000 sq.m. of land, PlaYce Yaoundé covers nearly 17,000 sq.m. of commercial space, including a Carrefour hypermarket with 4,000 sq.m of sales area, a shopping mall with 50 local and international brand stores including several restaurants with seating for 500 in air-conditioned or outdoor spaces, as well as relaxation and recreational areas for everyone. PlaYce Yaoundé also offers 400 spaces to park and make shopping easier.
In addition, as part of its social and environmental responsibility policy, CFAO Consumer Retail is already preparing to add a solar farm to the roof of PlaYce Yaoundé at the end of the year. Nearly 2,300 solar panels will be installed. CFAO Consumer Retail hopes to use them to produce nearly a quarter of the site’s overall needs. This approach is part of a carbon reduction policy that aims to reduce emissions by nearly 25% per year.
The first Carrefour hypermarket in the country
If CFAO Consumer Retail is pioneer in commercial real estate of this ultra-modern shopping center, he is also the operator of the Carrefour hypermarket, named Carrefour Warda. This hypermarket is the first in the country. More than 20,000 items are on offer and customers will discover new proposal such as for example, a large choice of home equipment, a wide range of ready-to-wear clothing for the whole family, a wine cellar with a very large and nice choice of wines. Of course, Carrefour’s expertise in the fresh product will be on full display, including in the bakery, the butchery, the catering section and the fish shop.
“This Carrefour Warda hypermarket allows us to strengthen and develop our relationships with the 400 Cameroonian partners we have. We work with some of them since 2017, when we opened our first supermarket in Douala. It is in fact part of the company’s DNA to develop and grow sectors that, over time, are becoming more professional, partly thanks to the support of our valued experts” said Luc Demez, CEO of CFAO Consumer Retail Cameroon.
The opening of the Carrefour Warda hypermarket marks a turning point in food refrigeration technology, as CFAO Consumer Retail has chosen an environmentally friendly solution to the cold food installation for its retail area, with CO2 R744. This is a first for Cameroon and also for sub-Saharan Africa. CO2 R744 is a high-quality natural refrigerant with low water content and environmental friendliness. It has the highest marks for climate friendliness, as it is almost climate neutral. This is an issue that CFAO Consumer Retail now incorporate into its strategic investment choices, which has to be highlighted.
Patrick Lasfargues, Executive Director of Carrefour Partenariat International, stated: “I am delighted with CFAO Consumer Retail result in developing the Carrefour brand in Cameroon. The hypermarket offers a great illustration of this, reminding us of our common goal to better serve Cameroonian customers.”
Among the brands present in the PlaYce Yaoundé shopping center, three are members of the CFAO Consumer Retail Brand Club: Jules, Lacoste, and La Grande Récré. Each will be opening to the public for the first time in Cameroon, providing an excellent opportunity to directly reach a new clientele. CFAO Consumer Retail operates these stores as a franchisee, benefiting from the experience of its stores in Côte d’Ivoire. Each one has made careful preparations to welcome its customers and provide them with a shopping experience in line with international standards.
More than 4 million annual visitors are expected at PlaYce Yaoundé. Side activities will be regularly organized by the event management teams, because PlaYce Yaoundé was designed with one goal in mind: to be “the PlaYce to have Fun & the PlaYce to be”!
About CFAO Consumer Retail
Meeting new demand from African consumers.
CFAO is a pioneer in the rising consumer goods and modern retail market in Africa. With CFAO Consumer Retail, the Group is implementing its strategy in various food retail formats, as well as through shopping centers and a brand club.
In partnership with Carrefour, CFAO distributes a wide range of products from international brands or local suppliers, with guaranteed traceability at a competitive price. The even-more-affordable Supeco brand offers an alternative to individual and business consumers with retail or batch selling. CFAO’s retail business is also expanding through its own shopping centers, which offer supermarkets, restaurants, and shopping malls in a bustling community space.
CFAO has established partnerships with international brands in the clothing, beauty, toy sectors.
https://www.cfaogroup.com/fr/consumer/cfao-retail/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/cfaoretail/
About PlaYce
PlaYce, a pioneer in commercial real estate in Africa, is being developed by CFAO Consumer Retail, a division of the CFAO Group. A bustling community center in the heart of major cities, PlaYce offers an array of international and local brands, along with a Carrefour hypermarket, event spaces, and restaurants from all over the world. PlaYce also offers many services. PlaYce, a unique entertainment and shopping space for the whole family.
Read more: https://www.playce-yaounde.cm/
https://www.facebook.com/PlaYceYaounde
https://www.instagram.com/playce_cameroun/
See also PlaYce in Côte d’Ivoire: https://www.playce.ci/
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