Carrefour Express shoppers in Arcachon, France, can now unlock a steep discount by paying with Bitcoin. The store offers 20% off the full grocery bill when customers choose BTC at checkout. The move has drawn attention because supermarkets usually run on tight margins. It also pushes Bitcoin spending beyond online stores and into everyday retail, where most people still rely on cards and cash.
The promotion comes from a single Carrefour Express franchise at 9 Allée de la Chapelle in Arcachon. It does not represent a chain-wide rollout across Carrefour’s 14,000 stores worldwide. However, the store’s pricing decision has fueled debate about whether Bitcoin can compete with traditional payments in real life.
Changpeng Zhao, Binance’s founder and former CEO, reacted to the claim with surprise. He said he did not expect Carrefour margins to support a 20% discount. Observers also pointed out that the offer shows unusual confidence from the store owner. Hence, the move looks less like a short-term stunt and more like a calculated bet.
Food retailers often operate with thin profits, so a 20% cut seems risky at first. However, the merchant may view the discount as the cost of acquiring Bitcoin. The shop trades a portion of today’s revenue for an asset it expects to hold longer.
Additionally, Bitcoin payments through the Lightning Network can settle quickly with lower processing costs. This may reduce card-related fees and speed up access to funds. Consequently, the store may see Bitcoin payments as more efficient than some traditional systems.
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Other Carrefour-linked stores in France already Bitcoin through franchise decisions. Reports have mentioned locations in Normandy, including Rouen, Le Havre, Elbeuf, Quincampoix, and Isneauville. However, those stores did not offer customers a direct financial incentive.
Significantly, the Arcachon store turns the payment method into a price lever. Customers can lower their total bill while the shop builds Bitcoin reserves. Moreover, the merchant can keep euro liquidity from other shoppers to cover daily costs.
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