Majid Al Futtaim Opens Carrefour in Uzbekistan
Majid Al Futtaim, which positions itself as a leading shopping mall, retail and leisure lifestyle developer in the Middle East, Africa and Asia, has launched a Carrefour store in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, which the company said “underlines the brand’s ambitions to respond to the growing demand for modern retail in the country, while also catering to evolving customer needs.”
Carrefour was first launched in the region in 1995 by UAE-based Majid Al Futtaim. The company serves as the exclusive franchisee to operate Carrefour in more than 30 countries located across the Middle East, Africa and Asia. Majid Al Futtaim is the sole owner and operator of the Carrefour stores, which currently total more than 320 and are located in 16 of the 30 countries.
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“As one of the most recognized retail brands in the world, Carrefour introduces an elevated shopping experience to the Uzbek market through its international standards and retail best practices, customer service and best in-store hygiene processes,” the company said, adding that the retailer offers more than 16,000 items, “including the widest choice of fresh produce, groceries and local products; an assortment of non-food products including household goods, as well as textile products; its own-name line of high-quality (private label) items, and a large variety of ecological (bio) products.”
Similar to other stores under the banner, the Carrefour Uzbekistan store will feature fresh and localized specialty items in a food court touting tandoori dishes, sushi, pizza and baked goods. Majid Al Futtaim also said the store provides “special priority checkout lines for pregnant women and people with special needs as well as free Wi-Fi.”
The Uzbekistan store will have the same brand positioning as other Carrefours across the globe, which is to offer high-quality items at an “unbeatable value.” As with other units, the priority is on the customer experience with efficient and timely checkouts as well as refunds and exchanges for items up to seven days after purchase.
“To celebrate its opening, Carrefour has also launched its MyClub loyalty program along with a mobile application, which allows customers to earn points while shopping, giving them additional discounts on selected brands and products,” the company said.
According to the CIA’s World Factbook, Uzbekistan has a population of more than 30 million people. The country is landlocked with 51 percent of the population living in urban settlements. Regarding its economy, the country is key to the textile industry.
“Uzbekistan is the world’s fifth-largest cotton exporter and seventh-largest producer,” the Factbook stated. “Uzbekistan’s growth has been driven primarily by state-led investments, and export of natural gas, gold and cotton provides a significant share of foreign exchange earnings.”
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