Gifi Snapshot
With its bright yellow-and-red signs, Gifi is hard to miss. Founded in 1981, the French budget retailer markets itself as a one-stop discount store, with 300-plus locations in France as well as shops in Africa, Belgium, French Guiana, Italy, and Spain. It also operates stores under the Griff Plus and MaxiGifi banners. Gifi's spacious stores are usually located next to supermarkets or in neighborhood strip-centers, and their wooden shelves are stacked with bargain-priced and surplus items of every sort, except food. Customers who pop in to browse will find everything from gifts and toys to clothing, home furnishings, and electronics. Founder, chairman and CEO Philippe Ginestet and his family control Gifi.
