franchise
In China, KFC equips managers with an AI voice assistant
In China, on June 20, 2025, Yum China (2024 revenue: US$10.65 billion, 2.5% after a rise of 14.1% in 2023) announced the launch of an AI-integrated voice assistant in several KFC restaurants. As a...
24 June 2025
Unibail launches franchise in Saudi Arabia with Cenomi Centers
On May 5, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield (URW) announced a launch in Saudi Arabia through a franchise partnership with operator Cenomi Centers. The 10-year exclusive partnership, with an option to...
- Retail
- Property and investors
- News brief
6 May 2025
Carrefour re-signs with Majid Al Futtaim until 2031
On April 3, Carrefour renewed an exclusive franchise agreement until 2031 with the Emirati group Majid Al Futtaim (turnover 2024: €8.53 billion, up by 1% in a year, after a rise of 1.1% in...
- Retail
- Property and investors
- News brief
9 April 2025
For the first time since 2020, the number of French franchised stores fell in 2024
Closures in the fashion sector, lower performance for supermarkets and household equipment farnchised stores, which underperformed the market... In France, the number of franchises fell by 1.4% in...
- Retail
- Property and investors
- News
4 March 2025
Franchise : Ulta Beauty enters the Middle East with Alshaya
After announcing a first international expansion into Mexico in March 2024, the U.S. retailer Ulta Beauty (2023 turnover of US$11.2 billion, up 5.7%, after 15.6% in 2022 and 37.9% in 2021)...
11 February 2025
Maisons du Monde sales plummet for 3rd year running
In a French furniture market down by 5.1% to €13.8 billion in 2024 (IPEA), Maisons du Monde (338 stores at the end of 2024) reported annual sales of €1.002 billion on February 4, down...
6 February 2025
La Foir’fouille chooses Duval for franchise African expansion
On January 31, discount chain La Foir’fouille (steady 2023 sales at €815 million, target of €830 million for 2024) announced an African expansion via a master franchise agreement...
- Retail
- Property and investors
- News brief
5 February 2025
Auchan Russia is counting on sanctions being lifted to continue trading
Auchan Retail (2023 sales €32.26 billion, down 2% in a year, via 2,354 stores in 12 countries) has ended discussions with Gazprombank concerning the sale of 232 Russian stores, according to...
30 January 2025
Majid Al Futtaim launches retail media solution in the Middle East
The Majid Al Futtaim conglomerate (sales 2023 of US$9.4 billion up by 1.1%, after + 12% in 2022) launches Precision Media, a new media business. This offers a suite of in-store, onsite and offsite...
18 November 2024
Auchan Retail to sell Russian stores to Gazprombank
Auchan Retail is in the process of withdrawing from Russia, with the sale of all 232 stores, according to La Lettre. While the company announced that it will remain in Ukraine, it is considering...
- Retail
- Retailer and e-commerce
- Analysis
30 October 2024
South Asia: Mothercare and Reliance Brands create a joint venture
On October 17, the struggling British retailer Mothercare (sales of US$355 million in the fiscal year to March 2024, down by 9% at constant exchange rates after a fall of 13% in 2022) and the...
- Retail
- News brief
25 October 2024
Saudi Arabia: Carrefour and Majid Al Futtaim criticised for human rights violations
On October 21, Amnesty denounced Carrefour‘s practices in a Saudi franchise managed by Majid Al Futtaim (2023 sales €8.6 billion, up 1%). Migrants are employed, underpaid and working 60...
23 October 2024
10 years after leaving India, Carrefour returns via a franchising agreement
While Carrefour is gradually withdrawing from Africa, the group (2023 sales of €92 billion, up 10.4% on a like-for-like basis via 14,000 stores in 40 countries) announced on September 9 a...
- Retail
- News brief
11 September 2024
China: After an upbeat Q2, Walmart sells JD.com
On August 21, Walmart confirmed the sale of their stake in JD.com (2023 sales:US$153 billion, up 3.7% in a year). In China, faced with competitors Pinduoduo, Xiaohongshu and Alibaba, the...
- Retail
- Retailer and e-commerce
- News
23 August 2024
Dubai: Spinneys targets an I.P.O. valuation of US$1.5 billion
On April 23, 2024, supermarket group Spinneys 1961 Holding (70 stores in the U.A.E. and Oman, a subsidiary of Al Seer) opened subscription of 9,000 shares in preparation for an I.P.O. on the Dubai...
- Retail
- News brief
25 April 2024
Retail crisis in Morocco: international franchises in jeopardy
In 2024, the Moroccan retail sector is going through a tumultuous period, marked by the successive closures of international franchises. An example is the departure of two H&M stores belonging...
- Retail
- News brief
19 April 2024
Our mind news
Against a backdrop of growing pressure on household budgets, the European CCD2 Directive coming into force and a new legal framework for assisted purchasing journeys, Oney is stepping up an...
- Retail
- mind Exclusive
- Retail tech
29 October 2026
Amid an ownership shake-up following its acquisition by Evoriel, shopping centre operator Advantail has signed with Formality to digitise the management of commercial leases and contracts across...
23 October 2026
With an average basket of €3,500 and a payment journey that includes a financial deposit at the time of ordering, Mobilier de France shares with mind Retail its assessment of the rollout of...
- Retail
- mind Exclusive
- Retail tech
15 October 2026
Eager to bring together customer data and improve data accuracy, jewellery and watch retailer Maison A.Constant built its own Single Customer Repository (SCR) using n8n, an orchestration platform...
7 October 2026
Most viewed articles of the month on mind Retail
What readers clicked on the most last month.
What readers clicked on the most last month.
1
Advantail signs with Formality to streamline commercial lease management
Amid an ownership shake-up following its acquisition by Evoriel, shopping centre operator Advantail has signed with Formality to digitise the management of commercial leases and contracts across...
23 October 2026