TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums St. Maarten - St. Martin Grand Marche is now Carrefour

It was just a picture in the paper, not really an article, but the main Grand Marche on Bush Road is now a Carrefour. Supposedly it has undergone a big makeover. Should be interesting to see.

In the online version now

Is the Cole Bay Carrefour open yet? Being repaired?

They will work on Cole Bay next year, so says the article. It's a big mess. The Bush Road store is very, very nice, although they are busy still stocking and putting in a new floor in the midst of shoppers trying to navigate. And parking is still a nightmare! Another week and hopefully they will be finished and back to normal. Hope they can keep up the lovely fresh produce and veg we found on Monday. And honest to goodness red, not grey, meat!

It's a good thing so many yachts are headed south, as Cole Bay LGM was the prime provisioning market for superyachts. This time of year that store was packed open til close with chefs and locals.

Many of my chef friends have taken to air shipping provisions this year. I don't think the locals have that option

Too expensive, and there is plenty here. They also shop in Market Garden a lot and that's been open quite some time.

It's not really a good thing for us they are going south and happy to see some coming back already.

Carrefour is a great market and thrilled its now on the island!! Its unfortunate that the yachts are heading south this year but glad that some are returning. They will be back!!

Carrefour has been in Cole Bay for a few years already.

Personally don't care for Carrefour products with only a few exceptions. But it is what it is. We'll continue to do most of our shopping in Super U. I'm sure they will do quite well.

We never buy any of the Carrefour products even though we sop there. And this year with the loss of their computer , we are loosing a lot of points from value shopping plus missing on the amount we made up for the pass year. Sucks.

Yep!

We prefer Carrefour over Grande Marche.

You'd be surprised how Grand Marche (now Carrefour in Bush Road) has changed. Feels like in Walmart.

Photo from Facebook

Do you think that if you have all of your past receipts showing all your points that they will give them back to you? We had about a lot before we left the island. I kept all my receipts just in case.

Wow, well that shows how much or rather how little time I spend in cole bay!! I only know Carrefour from France. I personally miss Simplys cheese and pate selection!

Thanks for your relevant input , but they will not. Right now we have about close to 1500 and was hoping to have this money for the holidays like last year. Real rough all over. Sucks.

That is very disappointing. However, if they don't honor our points I will start to shop at Super U and the Fresh Mkt for what Super U doesn't have. I'm sure one little person not shopping there anymore won't hurt them--but it will make me feel much better. Just because they lost their computer is not an acceptable reason to not honor what they started up as an incentive for their customers. If you have your receipts, I can see no reason for them to say no unless they just don't really care about their loyal customers who have spent quite a lot of money with them.

The computer was stolen during the looting, they even asked the looters to return the hard drive with all the information.

I had heard that awhile ago and it is just reprehensible what happened with the looting. I can understand if there is no proof of the amount of points a person had that it would be a problem for the store--but I have my receipts. Can't see why there would be a problem with that.

You won't be shopping at Fresh Market. It closed some time ago.

That's right, my mistake--I meant Market Garden in Simpson Bay.

Well, that would be cutting off your nose to spite your face!! Market Garden is WAAY expensive, versus either Carrefour or Super U.

I guess you are not familiar with what you get at that amount of points.

What? Not sure I understand your point. My point is that Market Garden is much more expensive than the others. I get that you're mad that they lost your points, but I don't get how going to Market Garden and paying MORE for their stuff helps you. Grand Marche/Carrefour won't get more of your money, but you are just costing yourself more in the end. Grand Marche should have had an offsite backup for their records, so they didn't lose them, yes. But I get why just having your receipts wouldn't be good enough afterward. That's really not the way most reward programs work, that you can send in a bunch of receipts after and get points.

There are many companies that tell you if you forget to give the rewards number to the cashier at the time of transaction to just go online and report the purchase for your points from your receipt. Safeway and office depot to name few.

If you read my original post you would have seen that I said I would go to Super U--as you say is one of the best places to shop on the island--and go to Market Garden for what they might not have that I want. What I don't get is that you don't get that having a receipt wouldn't be the proof that you had the points. If you have a receipt--where is the question? Why even get a receipt if it doesn't show proof of purchase? Not trying to start anything here--just stating my opinion. And having said that, the receipt you get each time you shop shows the number of points that have accrued up to that point.

Makes sense...So the last receipt would be your fallback in case of an issue....but...I guess they decided differently

If that is what they decide, it's their loss, and all I can say is that I will be very disappointed in that company.

Don't know why they made that decision, but not actually that surprised that that they did. Could be they felt they couldn't afford to honor the points that way, because of losses from the hurricane. Not a good PR move on their part, but doesn't surprise me. If you haven't used Super U before, I think you'll like it there.

Is that the warehouse-like place kinda down the side street from the Harley dealership in Cole Bay?

Super U is in Marigot, where Match used to be, in Howell Center. You're thinking of Prime Cash and Carry, I think.

Well, because you and some others have said they are really good, I'm more than willing to try them. Since we live in Cupecoy it's a little longer to get there, but worth it if the company I have been loyal to cannot reciprocate.

They don't have US brands, but for meat, produce, and wine, they are really good.

Correct.

Ahhh...always get my market names mixed up. We've been to the Super U and it is a very decent place to shop...especially with the expanded parking lot

Yes, unless the store is REALLY packed, there is plenty of parking, which in itself is unusual for SXM..

How are the prices at Super U compared to say, Carrefour? Do they take credit cards?

For meats and wine I find Super U cheaper usually. Certainly they take credit cards. They basically do NOT have US brands and frozen foods are labeled in French, so sometimes knowing French is an advantage. That, we just wing! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" /> The store is also SUPER clean. Carrefour, in particular (the Cole Bay store, which I know is not currently open), I have found to be not that clean. It seemed like every time I went in there, I smelled fish, which you should not smell anything, if the fish is really fresh. For carts at Super U, you can use a US quarter to put in the slot. Otherwise, they have smaller rolly carts which you can use. They don't provide bags, so you need to bring them or buy them. Although I think now, Grand Marche (Carrefour) also does not provide them? I don't remember.

How is the selection of cheese and pates? That is part of what we enjoy on St Martin.

Does anyone know the hours & days they are now open?