A new form of shopping has taken hold in France in recent years: Drive supermarkets are experiencing a real boom. With more than 550 drive locations, E.Leclerc is one of the market leaders and has the desired goods ready for pickup within two hours after the online order is received.
A few years ago, it was still commonplace for French families to do their weekly shopping on Saturdays in “hypermarkets” with huge sales areas. In addition to groceries and fresh foods such as fish, meat, and cheese, the Leclerc hypermarkets' wide range of products also includes clothing, toys, housewares, and much more. The markets are mostly situated in local commercial areas and usually also have a gas station. These markets were already staying open until 8 p.m. when many of the unbranded gas stations in France were still closing early in the evening.