News of Carrefour’s plans to open in Cameroon has met mixed reviews. It is clear that Carrefour’s ambition, along with partner CFAO, to put large stores across the country has been a wake up call to businesses, consumers and politicians alike. Many have asked what it means to have the retail giant in the country (although we note that Casino already has five stores in Cameroon, Super U launched its first hypermarket in Douala in June 2015 and Spar have also launched a flagship store in Douala).

Leading the ‘no’ camp, antiglobalisation politician and ‘voice of the consumer’ Bernard Njonga of the Croire au Cameroun (CRAC) party has come out vehemently against the retailer. He argues that large retailers destroy large numbers of jobs among independent shopkeepers and act as a Trojan Horse for the imported brands that outcompete local producers. With elections coming up in 2018 in Cameroon, there is a possibility that Carrefour could become a focus for wider complaints about the role of foreign companies on indigenous Cameroonian businesses.