Reading

A global retailer

Carrefour the second largest retail company in the world and was the first to open a hypermarket in china. In entered the Chinese market in 1995. It now has annual sales in the country of more than€2billion and is opening an increasing number of stores to improve its market shares (currently 5%)

Carrefour has attracted customers by adapting to and copying local customers. For examples Chinese consumers traditionally bought live fishes at stores near the see. However, in stores hundreds of miles from the sea, live fish practical. Frozen fish was introduced instead and this boosted sale of fish by 30-40%.

Carrefour has tried to stay ahead of the customer by not introducing products and ideas that are so new and radical that they don’t sell, but not being too late either. One way Carrefour has done this is by introducing Chinese customers to the idea of drinking wine with a meal by selling a few seafood. It has also expanded its range of services, introducing loyalty cards as a way to offer discounts, and providing consumer’s credit. In 2006 it launched an advertising campaign for online shopping. All of these have helped promote the Carrefourname, both in china and around the world.

According to reading match verbs 1-8 to a-h makes phrases.

1.to improve------                           a-----sales

2.to enter-------                               b-----new customers

3.to attract------                              c-----a discount

4.to launch------                              d-----a new market

5.to expand------                             e-----the company’s name

6.to offer------                                  f-----an advertising campaign

7.to promote-----                             g----our range of products or services

8.to boost-----                                  h-----market share

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Answers

1.h

2.d

3.b

4.f

5.g

6.e

7.e

8.a