There are no immediate plans to replace Carrefour supermarkets in the UAE, following closures in Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and Jordan, the Dubai-based operator of the retail chain has said.
The decision to go ahead with the closures in the four markets was taken by Majid Al Futtaim, its retail division chief executive Gunther Helm told Dubai Eye's Business Breakfast programme on Thursday.
“We are evaluating always the customer needs and the customer behaviour and so in the markets [Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman and Jordan] … we decided to move away,” he said. There was a “challenging environment for retailers in those areas”, he added.
“In the UAE, there is, at the moment, no plan to do so,” Mr Helm added. “It's not a financial decision. It's really about listening to the needs of the customers, and to what is the right format we're offering.”
Majid Al Futtaim has introduced its own grocery brand, HyperMax, at all the sites where Carrefour closed.
“With HyperMax, we are using the opportunity to really reconnect with the customers even more, to come up with a very local approach,” Mr Helm said.
Majid Al Futtaim is growing the portfolio of its HyperMax shops, with six more locations announced in Bahrain, adding to 44 in Jordan and Oman. The plan with HyperMax is to support local supply chains, it said.
The response so far to HyperMax from customers has been “overwhelming”, Mr Helm said.
“So we're quite happy with the first steps in that direction and in those markets, it seems to be the right approach,” he added.
The retail sector across the Middle East and North Africa is expanding, especially in the Gulf, where sales are projected to grow at 4.6 per cent annually to reach $386.9 billion in 2028, from $309.6 billion in 2023, Alpen Capital said in a report last year.
The growth is expected to be supported by an increase in population, rise in per capita income and boost in tourism activities.
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Publisher: EA Sports
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Rating: 3/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Name: Brendalle Belaza
From: Crossing Rubber, Philippines
Arrived in the UAE: 2007
Favourite place in Abu Dhabi: NYUAD campus
Favourite photography style: Street photography
Favourite book: Harry Potter
What is graphene?
Graphene is extracted from graphite and is made up of pure carbon.
It is 200 times more resistant than steel and five times lighter than aluminum.
It conducts electricity better than any other material at room temperature.
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The material was first discovered when Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov were 'playing' with graphite at the University of Manchester in 2004.
Other acts on the Jazz Garden bill
Sharrie Williams
The American singer is hugely respected in blues circles due to her passionate vocals and songwriting. Born and raised in Michigan, Williams began recording and touring as a teenage gospel singer. Her career took off with the blues band The Wiseguys. Such was the acclaim of their live shows that they toured throughout Europe and in Africa. As a solo artist, Williams has also collaborated with the likes of the late Dizzy Gillespie, Van Morrison and Mavis Staples.
Lin Rountree
An accomplished smooth jazz artist who blends his chilled approach with R‘n’B. Trained at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC, Rountree formed his own band in 2004. He has also recorded with the likes of Kem, Dwele and Conya Doss. He comes to Dubai on the back of his new single Pass The Groove, from his forthcoming 2018 album Stronger Still, which may follow his five previous solo albums in cracking the top 10 of the US jazz charts.
Anita Williams
Dubai-based singer Anita Williams will open the night with a set of covers and swing, jazz and blues standards that made her an in-demand singer across the emirate. The Irish singer has been performing in Dubai since 2008 at venues such as MusicHall and Voda Bar. Her Jazz Garden appearance is career highlight as she will use the event to perform the original song Big Blue Eyes, the single from her debut solo album, due for release soon.
AUSTRALIA SQUAD
Steve Smith (capt), David Warner, Cameron Bancroft, Jackson Bird, Pat Cummins, Peter Handscomb, Josh Hazlewood, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Shaun Marsh, Tim Paine, Chadd Sayers, Mitchell Starc.
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