French supermarket giant confirms entry into Uganda

Announcing entry. A banner announces Carrefour entry into Uganda in October last year. FILE PHOTO

French-based supermarket, Carrefour, is in the final stages of opening two stores in Kampala.
The two stores, operated under the Majid Al Futtaim franchise, according to a statement sent to Daily Monitor, will be established in spaces formerly occupied by Nakumatt at Oasis Mall in Kampala and Metroplex Mall in Nalya, on the outskirts of Kampala.
Carrefour is seeking to expand in East Africa after it launched in Kenya in 2016.
Mr Hani Weiss, the Majid Al Futtaim chief executive officer - retail, said Carrefour’s entry into Uganda will further cement the chain’s position as a customer-centric retailer, bringing one of the largest retailers in the world to the heart of Kampala.
“Uganda is considered one of the fastest growing economies in Africa, and we are delighted to partner with local stakeholders to offer a world-class retail experience to Ugandans, specifically tailored to their needs,” he said, noting that the Dubai-based franchise holder will first operate a single store at Oasis Mall before opening another at Metroplex Mall early next year.
In October last year, Daily Monitor reported that the retailer had already put up posters in different parts of Kampala indicating it would start operating this year.
Mr Marc Du Toit, the Knight Frank head retail, told Daily Monitor yesterday they are redeveloping a section of Metroplex Mall to house the Carrefour second store.
“Carrefour will be entering early next year. Details are still being worked on at the moment on the project redevelopment,” he said
The Carrefour brand is operated by Majid Al Futtaim, which is the franchise holder of Carrefour in 37 countries across the Middle East, Africa, and Asia.
The entry of the retailer into Uganda will be a likely boost to the supermarket economy that has suffered in the last five years.
Two Kenya supermarket giants including Uchumi and Nakumatt closed shop in Uganda in quick succession after running into huge debts and low sales resulting from heightened competition.
However, their exit has seen growth in local brands that have sufficiently come in to close the vacuum left.
Carrefour started operations in East Africa with its entry into the Kenyan market in 2016 and operates seven stores to date.

Unrivalled products menu

Carrefour operates different store formats, as well as multiple online offerings to meet the growing needs of its diversified customer base. The supermarket chain offers an unrivalled choice of more than 100,000 food and non-food products.