A general view shows the Leclerc hypermarket in Brive-La-Gaillarde, central France July 10, 2013. France is the biggest country in Europe for hypermarkets and the store's growth mirrors Carrefour's past global expansion. But that growth masks the gradual decline of the format. The hypermarket - an out-of-town warehouse of more than 2,500 square metres which offers everything from camembert cheese to lawn mowers - is shrinking as online vendors, convenience shops and discounters meet many of the needs of a cash-strapped, increasingly fragmented population. Leclerc, which has 560 stores in France, mostly hypermarkets, compared with Carrefour's 4,635, likes to remind customers of the benefits of its co-operative status. Picture taken July 10, 2013. REUTERS/Regis Duvignau (FRANCE - Tags: BUSINESS)