South Africa: Shoprite rolls out smart trolleys, designed in-house by the tech division Africa, Middle East In 2 Checkers hypermarkets, the South African giant is testing a smart connected trolley technology developed by ShopriteX, the tech entity of the parent company. Trolleys are equipped with cameras and control scales. Designed in-house, will this innovation be more economically viable than those from Caper (Instacart), Hanshow, Shopic or Trollee?
Al-Futtaim acquires a 49.95% stake in Cenomi Retail for US$667 millions Africa, Middle East On July 20, Saudi operator Cenomi Retail (2024 revenue: 635 million dollars, up by 4% year-on-year) announced an agreement to sell 49.95% of capital to the Emirati group Al-Futtaim (revenue confidential).…
DHL to invest €500 million in the Gulf by 2030 Africa, Middle East On June 11, Germany’s DHL (2024 revenue €84.19 billion, up by 3% year-on-year) announced a €500 million investment by 2030 in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia to strengthen the 4 divisions in the region.…
Co-op U.K. and Coop Alleanza stop buying from Israel amid geopolitical pressure Africa, Middle East Eager to “support peace,” the British Co-op announced on June 24 that it would stop buying from 17 countries,…
In Saudi Arabia, Chinese platforms JD.com and Meituan are battling in the delivery market Africa, Middle East After 5 months of wrangling in China, JD.com and Meituan are battling for the Middle East food delivery market. On June 18, JD.com (2024 revenue: $158.8 billion,…
Malaysian company Mr.DIY opens in South Africa Africa, Middle East South Asian D.I.Y. discount retailer Mr.DIY (2024 revenue: US$984 million, up 6.7% year-on-year, via 5,000 stores in Asia and Europe) is preparing to sell in Africa with a first store in South Africa,…
Majid Al Futtaim injects US$1.4 billion into Mall of the Emirates Africa, Middle East In Dubai, Majid Al Futtaim (2024 turnover: €8.53 billion from 87 stores and 29 malls, up 1% year-on-year) unveiled a US$1.4 billion investment in mid-April to revamp the Mall of the Emirates.…
Primark to enter Kuwait and the U.A.E. with Alshaya Africa, Middle East After announcing, in March, a new Indian operation via a franchise partnership with Reliance Brands, British retailer Primark (2024 turnover of US$11.93 billion in the fiscal year to September 2024,…
Unibail launches franchise in Saudi Arabia with Cenomi Centers Africa, Middle East On May 5, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield (URW) announced a launch in Saudi Arabia through a franchise partnership with operator Cenomi Centers.…
African retail: why OmniRetail's US$20 million round is more than just a funding round Africa, Middle East OmniRetail, the Lagos-based start-up editing e-commerce platform designed for small retailers (GMV of US$810 million in 2024,…
