Grand Frais to open in France at former Gifi locations– what to expect and where
Alpes Maritimes, Gironde, and Isère among the departments where new stores will open
Six of the 25 new locations have already been confirmed
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The Grand Frais supermarket chain is set to take over 25 stores from the discount retailer Gifi, with the first openings expected from the first quarter of 2027.
Six of these sites have already been confirmed, according to a press release sent to The Connexion, including:
Grasse (Alpes Maritimes)
Saint-Médard-en-Jalles (Nouvelle-Aquitaine)
Sainte-Marguerite (Grand Est)
Le Pont-de-Beauvoisin (Isère)
Saint-Parres-aux-Tertres (Aube)
Plaisance-du-Touch (Haute-Garonne)
The remaining 19 locations have not yet been announced. Renovation work will begin first on the six confirmed sites, before the rest of the rollout follows.
Grand Frais is a French supermarket chain specialising in fresh food. Its stores are designed more like indoor markets than traditional supermarkets, with specialist counters for fruit and vegetables, butchery, fish, dairy products, and delicatessen-style items.
The move comes following financial difficulties faced by Gifi since the Covid-19 pandemic, which has led to parts of its store network being restructured. Additionally, foreign competitors such as Temu and Shein, further increased the pressure.
This has created an opportunity for Grand Frais to expand by taking over existing retail units rather than building new stores.
Grand Frais, which ranked in the top 10 of France’s favourite brands in a 2025 survey by O & C Strategy Consultants, said that “a position will be offered to all affected employees.”
In practice, this means staff currently working in the affected Gifi stores should be offered jobs in the new Grand Frais outlets once the conversions take place.
However, this does not necessarily mean identical roles, as responsibilities, hours, or working conditions may change depending on how each store is reorganised.
The company also said that for employees who do not wish to remain after the takeover, “the support measures stipulated by regulations will be implemented.”
This refers to the standard legal protections under French labour law, which can include help with redeployment or formal departure arrangements depending on individual circumstances.
Grand Frais has also recently undergone a major ownership change, having been acquired for more than €4 billion by US asset manager Apollo Global Management in late 2025.
