Carrefour originated in France, where it was founded in 1959 by local business families. The very first Carrefour hypermarket officially opened its doors in June 1963 in Annecy, France, located near a multi-street intersection—which inspired the brand name "Carrefour," meaning crossroads in French. From this single pioneering location, the company expanded rapidly to invent and popularize the modern hypermarket retail concept across Europe and international markets.