Private company

GB Group

Logo: GB Supermarkets, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons3

Belgian supermarket chain

GB (Grand Bazar) was a Belgian supermarket chain, until 2000 owned by the GIB Group when it was taken over by the Carrefour Group.2 It was founded by François Vaxelaire.1 Wikipedia text CC BY-SA 4.0

Last updated Oct 21, 2026.

Overview

1958Founded1
  • Industryretail1
  • HeadquartersBrussels metropolitan area1

GB (Grand Bazar) was a Belgian supermarket chain, until 2000 owned by the GIB Group when it was taken over by the Carrefour Group.2

Corporate structure

GB Group is part of a group headed by GIB Group. 10 entities, 2 countries on record. Switch between the flow chart and the network, and select any entity to see its details.

  • GIB Group Brussels metropolitan area
    • GB Group Brussels metropolitan area
    • EXKi Subsidiary · Brussels metropolitan area
    • Lunch Garden Subsidiary · Evere
    • Brico Subsidiary · Belgium
    • Christiaensen Subsidiary · Belgium
    • Club Subsidiary · Belgium
    • Pearle Vision Subsidiary · United States
    • Quick Subsidiary · Belgium
    • Sarma Subsidiary · Belgium

Built from subsidiaries, stakes and holdings from Wikidata (CC0); major holders from Schedules 13D and 13G. Each entity in the chart links to its source.

The story

Founded by François Vaxelaire in 1958.1

In 1958 the first Super GB is created and opened.

In 1961 the first GB hypermarkets, the first ever stores of this format in Europe, are created under the name of Superbazar in Auderghem, Anderlecht and Bruges. These are the first hypermarkets to open outside the united States. The SuperBazar stores all were reorganized as Maxi GB in 1985.

In 1997 the first GB Express is opened in Berchem-Sainte-Agathe, in the same year, Super GB Partner and Contact GB are created.

In July 2000, Carrefour Group S.A. takes over the GIB Group and modernizes and rebrands all Maxi GB hypermarkets to Carrefour, the other GB stores stays under the GB brand, all those stores will also be renovated.

In 2007 Super GB, Super GB Partner and Contact GB all become Carrefour GB and GB Express stores become Carrefour Express.

Since 2009, Carrefour GB stores in Belgium are re-branding to Carrefour Market, all GB stores will eventually be a Market store in Belgium in 2013/2014.

In 2010 some of these Carrefour supermarkets were closed in a reorganization, while a few of them in Brussels and Wallonia were sold to an independent franchise together with Champion supermarkets, which became re-branded, as Carrefour Market-Groupe Mestdagh.

As of May 2013, there are 58 GB supermarkets left in Belgium, 28 Champion stores in Wallonia, and 431 GB stores have already become Carrefour Market.

From Wikipedia’s article on GB (supermarket), shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.4

Leadership

Who has led GB Group, and when. Pick a name to see everywhere that person has worked.

Products and brands

  • grocery store

Listed on Wikidata.1

GB Group had several different supermarket stores:

Super GB, the main supermarket stores, became Carrefour GB in 2007.

Super GB Partner, supermarkets, became Carrefour GB in 2007.

Contact GB, smaller supermarkets before owned by the Laurus group, became Carrefour GB in 2007.

Read the full text

GB Express, convenience stores created in 1997 in Berchem-Sainte-Agathe, became Carrefour Express in 2007.

Maxi GB, hypermarkets, became Carrefour in 2001

Bigg's Continent, hypermarkets, became Carrefour in 2001.

From Wikipedia’s article on GB (supermarket), shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.4

Subsidiaries and ownership

Parent company

From Wikidata.1

Timeline

  1. 2000Dissolved Dissolved1
  2. 1958Founded Founded1

Sources

The numbers on this page point here. Each one links to the record it came from.

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4