Carrefour is starting an international competition to show how serious it is about welcoming people with disabilities into its stores.

Carrefour is starting an international competition to show how serious it is about welcoming people with disabilities into its stores.

Carrefour and Viva Technology have started the world “Disability Innovation Challenge”

The goal is to find the most forward-thinking companies when it comes to disability and inclusiveness. This could be in terms of customer itineraries in stores or on websites, or how easy it is to get to goods and services.

Innovations used to make people feel welcome

In its Carrefour 2026 strategy plan, Carrefour has made disability a key part. In fact, the store wants to make it easier for people with disabilities to shop in its stores and use its apps and websites. It will do this through its services and goods.

Carrefour just announced the start of an international Disability Innovation Challenge to help it reach this goal.

Geneviève Darrieussecq, who is in charge of people with disabilities at France’s Ministry for Inclusivity, Autonomy, and People with Disabilities, will be in charge of this until May 19.

Companies from all over the world that want to show off their new ideas for making society more welcoming will be able to sign up on a special website.

They will then be chosen by a group of people who care about making sure people with disabilities are included. If they are chosen, they will get to take part in the final at the Viva Technology event on June 14.

The group will be led by Carine Kraus, who is the Executive Director of Engagement for the Carrefour Group. It will be made up of:

Elodie Perthuisot is in charge of e-commerce and digital change for the Carrefour Group.

Rami Baitiéh, the CEO of Carrefour France, said this.
Guy Tisserant is the vice-treasurer of the French Handisport Federation. Yves Puget is the managing editor of LSA magazine.
Paralympian and multiple-medal winner Arnaud Assoumani is a part of Team Carrefour.

After the challenge is over, three new ideas will be tried out in a few Carrefour shops. Their new ideas will also be shared on the retailer’s social networks so that more people will know about them.

How the competition works

In each of the following three categories, the group will choose a winner:

1: making it easier for our customers with disabilities to pay for their shopping

2: making it easier for them to shop in our shops and giving them more peace of mind as they do so

3: selling goods (food and other things) that meet the needs of people with disabilities.

Three things will be used to judge these new ideas:

The user experience, or how well the innovation solves one of the above three problems,

The “turnkey” part: Can the new idea be put into stores between now and the end of the year quickly and easily?

The fact that all of our stores can be changed so that the innovation can be used in more places, no matter how big or small the shop is.

Dates to keep in mind:

Phase 1: From now until May 19, 2023, applications must be sent through the website.

Phase 2: From May 20 to June 2, 2023, the best applications will be chosen.

Phase 3: The finalists will give their pitch, and the three winners will be announced at the Viva Technology event on June 14, 2023.

Carine Kraus, the Executive Director of Engagement for the Carrefour Group, said that disability is the most important cause in the 2026 Carrefour Strategic Plan, so we want to make our shops more open to everyone.

We know that the world of start-ups and digital is full of innovations that help everyone, so we want to make it possible for the most innovative companies to test their goods in our stores. So, we can help our customers with disabilities have a better shopping experience.