Can you brief us on Majid Al Futtaim’s Retail Arabia acquisition?
Majid Al Futtaim Retail, the exclusive franchisee of the Carrefour brand in 38 countries across the Middle East, Africa and Asia, acquired 30 stores from Retail Arabia in 2017, 10 of which were in Bahrain under the Géant and Gulf Mart brands. This acquisition increased the number of stores in the Kingdom to 11 and has further established our positioning as one of the largest grocery retail operators. We are on schedule with the rebranding, and look and feel integration. We are always looking for opportunities to serve our clients and deliver an unparalleled range of high quality products at competitive prices that Carrefour customers have come to know and expect.
What is the unique selling point of Carrefour as opposed to other hypermarket chains?
As a Majid Al Futtaim business, we ultimately focus on creating great moments for everyone, every day. For Carrefour this means offering its customers a choice of more than 75,000 food and non-food products, as well as its own extensive branded range of more than 1,100 items — all at competitive prices. We pride ourselves for the freshness and quality of produce extending across an array of fruits, vegetables, dairy, meat, poultry, fish and bakery items, combining both local and imported products. Our Healthy Kitchen offers a wide array of the best health products, from organic to free-from, to diet and fitness food at very competitive prices.
Moreover, Carrefour’s unrivalled customer experience and the incentives offered through our MyCLUB loyalty programme, which give access to exclusive deals and discounts, are what places us at the forefront of what we do.
How many branches have been opened in Bahrain and which is the largest of the lot?
There are currently 12 stores in Bahrain, seven hypermarkets and five supermarkets. Our two biggest branches are Carrefour hypermarkets at The Bahrain Mall and at City Centre Bahrain. Both stores cover an area over 10,000sq/m and our offering in both stores extends beyond food products to include textile, home accessories and electronics.
What are the new plans in the pipeline for the brand?
As mentioned, we just announced the opening of our 12th store in Oasis Mall Juffair, which features a range of food and non-food products. This store has been designed with the environment in mind, and includes special freezer cabinets that both increase food safety and reduce power consumption. This store is part of our strategy to get closer to our customers’ doorsteps. We are pleased to cater to the growing demand and provide our customers with the convenience they seek for their day-to-day shopping. We will continue to roll out our expansion plan and will announce updates on our milestones in due course.
How has it been operating in Bahrain?
We are very grateful for the support and guidance we are getting from the Government of Bahrain and the authorities as well as our business partners. We are also proud of our team member who listen to customers and continue to provide them with unparalleled customer service to make shopping at Carrefour a great experience.
