Carrefour Belgium has opened a new Carrefour Express convenience store in Molenbeek-Saint-Jean, Brussels, introducing its Express 4.0 format with an emphasis on fresh food, ready-to-eat meals and energy-efficient refrigeration.

The retailer confirmed the opening on 15 October 2026. The franchise-operated store is located at 98 Avenue Jean Dubrucq and is run by Keziban Ilkilic, who joins other members of her family already operating retail businesses.

For Carrefour, the opening offers another example of how its Belgian convenience format is being adapted to neighbourhood shopping. The Express 4.0 layout combines everyday groceries with products and services designed for quick visits, rather than trying to reproduce a full-size supermarket.

Fresh food is prominent, with fruit and vegetables, bread, baguettes and pastries baked on site. The assortment also includes vegetarian products and international foods aimed at the area’s diverse local population.

The store introduces a Make Your Noodles station, where shoppers can prepare a quick meal, alongside combination offers for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Coffee, freshly squeezed juice, flowers and gift cards are also available.

One operational detail is the refrigeration system. Carrefour says all refrigerated cabinets have doors and use an energy-efficient CO₂ installation. This puts energy consumption and food preservation alongside range development in the retailer’s latest small-store format.

For grocery suppliers, the format illustrates how neighbourhood stores create distinct opportunities for fresh bakery, chilled convenience food, meal components and multicultural product ranges. Limited selling space also means suppliers must compete for visibility and quick-turnover categories. Carrefour has not disclosed the store’s floor area, financial investment or supplier contracts, so those commercial measures should not be assumed.

The opening follows previous Express 4.0 developments in Brussels. In June, GTN reported on Carrefour’s Express 4.0 store in Woluwe-Saint-Lambert, which also placed premium food, international ranges and convenience services at the centre of its offer.

The Molenbeek store opens from 07:00 to 21:00 Monday to Friday and 08:00 to 21:00 on weekends and public holidays, giving residents access beyond conventional supermarket hours.

Carrefour Belgium operates more than 700 outlets across its hypermarket, Market and Express formats. Its latest opening illustrates how franchise partners are supporting the group’s presence in urban neighbourhoods, where convenience and locally relevant product selection are important competitive factors.

Editor’s note: The opening and store details are verified against Carrefour Belgium’s original French-language newsroom announcement, published on 15 October 2026. The photograph shows the newly opened location and was supplied through Carrefour Belgium’s newsroom.