Carrefour has piqued the interest of both shoppers and the retail industry as a whole by declaring that it is to open a hypermarché de l'avenir, or 'hypermarket of the future'.

It will appear this year at a location that is yet to be disclosed, although it is anticipated that the formal opening will occur in the European autumn.

In a statement, the French retailer said, "In our hypermarket of the future, everything will revolve even more around the customer. Carrefour Belgium wants to connect customers, partners and employees in such a way that their passion for shopping can be experienced to the fullest. To achieve this, we are starting from a blank slate." Carrefour recently finished a revamping of its Belgian outlets.

Of what precisely the store will be comprised is still unknown, but interest within the industry is mounting, and it is expected to be a high-tech operation with a strong emphasis on digital applications and processes.