MIDDLE EAST/AFRICA. Dufry Group is pressing ahead with a series of new store openings and expansions in the Middle East and Africa, as it seeks to expand its presence in these emerging regions.
The retailer plans to extend its New Generation store network at Amman Queen Alia International Airport, with work to be completed by the end of 2018. This will include a 2,520sq m outlet in departures and a 600sq m store in arrivals. These will set a new standard for its regional operations, said the company.
“The latest digital technology will be in place to deliver a highly personalised shopping experience to the passengers who visit our stores,” said a spokesperson. “Within the new departures store we will incorporate a strong Sense of Place. There will be a dedicated Oud section for example and prominence will be given to local foods and wines and to Dead Sea products, which are very popular with customers.”
As reported, Dufry extended its footprint at Kuwait International Airport in October with a 470sq m store in the new Jazeera Terminal (T5), in partnership with That-Al-Salasil. The store offers over 3,000 items from key categories including food, beauty, travel accessories and jewellery.
Other developments in the region include the opening earlier in the year of a Hudson News store at Sharjah International, building on the recent expansion of the duty free business. The 170sq m shop provides convenience items including books, magazines, snacks and souvenirs.
In Africa, a programme is underway to renovate all of its shops, part of a strategy to improve the shopping experience across its network.
This began with a walkthrough store in Abidjan (Ivory Coast), which was completed at the end of 2016, and followed by a major store across 1,000sq m in the new terminal in Marrakech (Morocco) last year. The new Terminal 1 at Casablanca Airport is set to open soon.
Dufry said: “Last year we opened two new operations – one in Cairo (Egypt) and the other in the new terminal in Nairobi (Kenya), where we now have a walkthrough shop. For the rest of the locations we have an intensive investment programme in place for 2019.”
*For more on Dufry’s projects in the Middle East and Africa, see the MEADFA Guide, published by The Moodie Davitt Report, out in coming days to coincide with The MEADFA Conference in Beirut.
