The Middle East retail sector is undergoing a sea-change. As more malls open, the GCC’s retail sector will grow by 25 percent to USD 313 billion by 2021, according to Alpen Capital. Online shopping revenues are also increasing. Deloitte projects the Middle East e-commerce market will triple to $49 billion by 2021.
Majid Al Futtaim, which is headquartered in Dubai, is responding to these dramatic retail changes by digitally transforming its Carrefour brand with global technology company SAP. Carrefour now has one digital platform that integrates over 100,000 products on its website, in-store kiosks and tablets, and mobile app. Majid Al Futtaim is re-inventing experiences for over 750,000 daily customers and also simplifying its supply chain.
“The Middle East retail sector is experiencing seismic changes, which is a major opportunity to enhance our customer experiences with real-time insights,” said Marco Antonio Urios, Senior Vice President, Omnichannel Solutions and Supply Chain at Majid Al Futtaim Retail. “As part of our vision of creating great moments by offering inspiring experiences, our digital transformation with SAP enables our customers to order online or from our mobile app and have them delivered to their doorstep.”
Worldwide, 81 percent of retailers say it is important to transform customer experiences and equip store associates with real-time insights, according to SAP research. Among customers, Accenture shows that 91 percent are more likely to shop with brands that recognise and remember them and provide relevant offers.
In 2018, Majid Al Futtaim launched the Carrefour digital platform, running on the SAP Hybris solution, now called SAP Commerce Cloud, in Egypt, Jordan, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, and the UAE. This year, Majid Al Futtaim plans to extend their services across more markets it operates Carrefour in.
The company also launched an express online one-hour delivery service, CarrefourNow; Scan&Go – enabling customers to scan and pack products as they shop the aisles for seamless in-store shopping; among several other omnichannel digital solutions for in-store and online shopping.
In recognition of its success, Majid Al Futtaim Retail received SAP’s “International Omni-Channel Transformation of the Year – South Europe, Middle East, and Africa.” Majid Al Futtaim Retail received the award in the presence of the State Secretary of Baden-Württemberg, Germany’s Ministry of Economic Affairs, Katrin Schütz.
“Majid Al Futtaim demonstrates how a home-grown UAE brand can compete on a regional and global level thanks to the power of digital transformation and e-commerce innovation,” said Abdullah Saqqa, Head of Customer Experience, SAP Middle East and North Africa. “As an Intelligent Enterprise, Majid Al Futtaim is transforming customer experiences to allow customers to purchase the products that they want from anywhere, at any time, and from any device.”
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