By Joan Wambui
In summary
- Hypermarket to offer a selected product range, aimed at addressing the immediate shopping needs for customers who live, work or commute through the busy Westlands area
- The location of the store at the ground floor of the mall will however be temporary, as Carrefour has already signed up as one of the first clients at the new wing of the mall
- The Carrefour store at the Sarit Centre will stock over 30,000 food and non-food items, and host specialist sections such as, fresh produce, groceries, a fresh bakery, and a butchery
- Carrefour Kenya currently retains the services of over 1400 employees
- Majid Al Futtaim is the exclusive franchisee for Carrefour in 38 markets across Middle East, Africa and Asia, and operates a portfolio of more than 230 outlets in 15 countries.
Leading shopping mall, communities, retail and leisure pioneer across the Middle East, Africa and Asia, Majid Al Futtaim has announced plans to open its fifth Carrefour hypermarket in Kenya.
The new hypermarket will be located at the ground floor of one of Kenya’s most strategic malls, Sarit Centre in Westlands. It will open its doors to customers in April 2018 and will initially operate using the partial selling area model, similar to what Carrefour has applied in its TRM and Junction stores, at the 35-year-old mall.
It will offer a selected product range, aimed at addressing the immediate shopping needs for customers who live, work or commute through the busy Westlands area.
Franck Moreau, Country Manager, at Majid Al Futtaim – Retail Kenya said, “We are elated to be making our entry into Westlands area, which we consider to be very strategic for our business. The Carrefour store at Sarit Centre, gives us an opportunity to present our differentiated services to thousands of customers who visit this mall every day, due to its prime location.
The location of the store at the ground floor of the mall will however be temporary, as Carrefour has already signed up as one of the first clients at the new wing of the mall, which is scheduled for completion by the end of the year.
“We are privileged to have partnered with the mall owners before the completion of the new wing, making it possible to influence the design of the space to suit our specifications and international standards. This has resulted in significant savings in creating the space for the fit out and will also reduce the time it takes to open the store,” said Franck Moreau.
When fully operational, the Carrefour store at the Sarit Centre will stock over 30,000 food and non-food items, and host specialist sections such as, fresh produce, groceries, a fresh bakery, and a butchery.
Carrefour already has four stores in Kenya, since opening its doors in 2016. They are located at The Hub in Karen, Two Rivers Mall, Thika Road Mall and The Junction. With the new store at Sarit Centre, the staff base for the retailer will go up to 1,400 within two years of operations in Kenya.
The opening of the new store, said Franck Moreau, will also be a significant boost to the more than 600 local suppliers- manufacturers, producers and farmers, who provide more than 99% of all the items Carrefour stocks.
Majid Al Futtaim currently operates over 230 Carrefour stores across 15 markets and continues seeking opportunities to open stores in Kenya and the rest of the greater East African region.
Carrefour started operations in Kenya in 2016. With four operational stores, Carrefour Kenya currently retains the services of over 1400 employees. A remarkable business success story, Majid Al Futtaim started in 1992 from one man’s vision to transform the face of shopping, entertainment and leisure to ‘create great moments for everyone, every day’.
It has since grown into one of the United Arab Emirates’ most respected and successful businesses spanning 15 international markets, employing more than 40,000 people, and obtaining the highest credit rating (BBB) among privately-held corporates in the region.
Majid Al Futtaim owns and operates 22 shopping malls, 12 hotels and three mixed-use communities, with further developments underway in the region. The shopping malls portfolio includes Mall of the Emirates, Mall of Egypt, City Centre malls, My City Centre neighbourhood centres, and four community malls, which are in joint venture with the Government of Sharjah.
The Company is the exclusive franchisee for Carrefour in 38 markets across Middle East, Africa and Asia, and operates a portfolio of more than 230 outlets in 15 countries.