Majid Al Futtaim has finally launched the first Carrefour store in Uganda at the popular Oasis Mall which is located in Kampala. The new store is located at Oasis Mall and it covers 2,800 square meters.
The company announced its intention to launch in Uganda in June 2019 and at the time it promised to launch in a few months and it isn’t clear why the launch was delayed.
Presiding over the official ceremony, Hon. Amelia Kyambadde, Uganda’s Minister for Trade, Industry and Cooperatives stated that the country’s growing population, coupled with a vibrant economy will support Majid Al Futtaim’s commitment to Uganda.
“The entry of a global retail brand like Carrefour goes a long way in ensuring that the expanding community is catered to. With rapid urbanization, there is an increased demand for superior and high-quality products offered at great value, and we are very confident that in Majid Al Futtaim, we have the right partner,” she said.
The store will stock up to 20,000 products, a mix of international and local brands, all certified by relevant government agencies, applying international hygiene standards in order to guarantee food safety to customers.
Majid Al Futtaim has recruited 130 Ugandan employees and has contracted 50 more from external local companies. The company has also engaged 260 local suppliers to stock the Carrefour store in Uganda. The company owns the franchise rights to operate the Carrefour brand in over 30 countries across the Middle East, Africa and Asia. Today it operates over 300 stores in 16 countries across that network.
Majid Al Futtaim holds the exclusive franchise rights to operate Carrefour in 37 countries and currently operates over 270 Carrefour stores in 15 countries. Uganda will be its 16th market. Carrefour started operations in East Africa with its entry into the Kenyan market in 2016 and operates seven stores to date, employing more than 1,400 staff members.