Portuguese retail group Sonae is planning to roll out its Continente hypermarket brand in the United Arab Emirates and the Middle East.
“Currently we are in the market evaluation phase and are seeking partners to introduce the grocery retail banner in other countries of the Middle East”, Sonae’s Jose Carlos Trinidade told Portuguese daily Expresso.
The project is the result of a franchising agreement signed with the Fathima group, and aims to launch new stores in the region from 2017.
Expansion Model
Sonae has been expanding its presence in some Middle East countries through the export of private label brand products from its grocery retail unit Sonae MC to local retailers.
However, the UAE was not included in this expansion model, as the priority for the country is the opening of the Continente hypermarkets.
© 2017 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Branislav Pekic. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine
