GIB Group

This article is about the retail conglomerate GIB Group. For the supermarket chain owned by GIB Group, see GB Group.

GIB Group

150px Logo of the GIB Group used until 2002
Industry	Retail
Founded	1860
Founder	Baron Vaxelaire
Headquarters	Belgium
Products	Hardware stores, DIY stores, Supermarkets, Hypermarkets, Convenience stores, Retail, Fast-food
Website	carrefour.eu

GIB Group (Grand Bazar Innovation Bon Marché) was a Belgian conglomerate, consisting of various retail and restaurant chains that existed until 2002. GIB Group owned GB (Grand Bazar) super/hypermarkets, Brico (home improvement/DIY), Inno (department store), Quick restaurants (Belgium, France, Netherlands, Luxembourg), Lunch Garden self-service restaurants, Auto 5 car wash/service chain, Nopri, GIB Immo, Christiaensen and Unic.

History

File:20120723 aywaille42.JPG

A Carrefour Market store in Aywaille, Belgium.

In 1860 the GIB Group is created by opening the first Au Bon Marché store in Brussels by François Vaxelaire.

In 1933, Nopri department stores were created.

In 1958, the first Super GB supermarket is created and opened.

In 1961, the first GB hypermarkets are created under the name of Superbazar in Auderghem, Anderlecht and Bruges. The Superbazar stores all became Maxi GB in 1985.

In 1997, the first GB Express is opened in Berchem-Sainte-Agathe, in the same year, Super GB Partner and Contact GB are created.

In July 2000, Carrefour Group S.A. takes over the GIB Group modernizes and rebrands all Maxi GB hypermarkets to Carrefour, the other GB stores stays under the GB brand, all those stores will also be renovated.

In 2002 Carrefour retires the GIB Group name of the holding subsidiary and sells the Brico chain to Vendex

In 2007, Super GB, Super GB Partner and Contact GB all become Carrefour GB, GB Express stores become Carrefour Express.

Since 2009, Carrefour GB stores in Belgium are rebranding to Carrefour Market, all GB stores will eventually be a Market store in Belgium in 2013/2014. In Wallonia and Brussels, the chain Champion will also be rebranded, as Carrefour Market-Groupe Mestdagh.

As of May 2013, there were still 58 GB branded supermarkets left, as well as 28 Champion stores. The rest (around 431 GB stores) have completed the transition to "Carrefour" brand.