The Pandemic acted as a clarion call for many retailers around the globe to develop e-commerce outlets. The middle east region comprises uniquely blended communities and captures a unique geographic spot on the world map. Before the pandemic, according to a McKinsey report, the MEA region had been relatively slow to adopt e-commerce, but COVID-19 changed and shifted their collective preferences. Consumers across the Gulf Cooperation Council, South Africa, and Turkey have shopped online a lot more during the pandemic than before its onset. The report also revealed that consumers in the middle east prefer to get groceries delivered at their doorstep but practice caution before purchasing high-involvement products such as electronics.
Numerous food disruptors and online grocery platforms have transformed how people shop for groceries. From parsley to zaatar, olives to Sumac, food platforms deliver everything consumers need in this region. Let’s look at the top five food and grocery disruptors from the Middle East ranked according to the customer experience, unique business model and other factors.
Consumers residing in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia had no big supermarkets in their vicinity around 50 years back. They could only resort to small convenience stores around the corner to get their grocery essentials. In 1978, Panda Retail Company rolled out its giant supermarkets called Panda hypermarkets carrying every grocery essential under the sun. Panda is the largest supermarket chain in Saudi Arabia. The Savola Group, the parent company of Panda, is ranked as the second-best out of 100 industrial companies in KSA. This supermarket was a big relief for consumers, and almost 60% of the Saudi consumers love to wander around the stocked-up grocery isles of Panda. The grocer offers a huge range of national and international food and beverage brands and transformed the food and grocery sector of Saudi Arabia. It offers great deals to consumers on every section of its giant retail outlets.
2. Nana
Consumers tirelessly looked for grocery solutions after the pandemic shook the world and barred them from visiting their nearest supermarkets. That’s when Nana, a digital grocery app founded in 2016, came to the rescue for consumers in Egypt and Saudi Arabia. The digital grocer offers the convenience of receiving grocery orders within 15 minutes and also allows them to schedule their delivery if they are unable to receive it at certain times. Much like prominent grocers in the US, Nana has grocery associates who shop for their shoppers, keeping their preferences in mind and providing the best customer experience. To Predict consumer demand and centralise data, the firm is teaming up with Vertex AI and BigQuery. The digital grocer is aiming to grab a 40% share in this market by the end of 2026 and will expand to other regions too. Samer El Sahn, Chief Product Officer at Nana, said:
“our Nana Business app gives small and medium-sized businesses the opportunity to buy and sell their goods too, that’s what differentiates us from our competitors.”
3. Getir
Getir, the ultra-fast digital delivery firm, requires no introduction. The digital platform has gained huge traction in the Middle East and other parts of the globe due to its ultra-fast delivery service. The Turkish startup, founded in 2015 by Nazım Salur, is known to deliver approximately 2,000 everyday items within a few minutes. The Istanbul-based startup dominates Turkey and operates in 81 cities. It expanded its services in 40 cities across nations like Germany, Spain, Italy, the United States, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. In 2019, the startup generated $120 million from sales. Getir raised $768 million at an $11.8 billion valuation recently.
4. UNION COOP
Union Coop, established in 1982, is one of the most trusted and reliable retailers in Dubai. Union Coop offers the best high-quality ingredients and fresh produce to its consumers and maintains amazing customer service. The retailer is a government-owned company and offers a special loyalty program to UAE nationals. Moreover, it also offers great discounts and promotions on various products across its sections. It has been serving its customers for over 25 years and has around 11 stores in Dubai, including Al Barsha, Palm Jumeirah, Satwa, Rashidiya and Umm Suqeim to name a few. The grocer offers express delivery service to its shoppers.
5. Family Food Center (FFC)
Family Food Centre is the most-favourite online retailer in Doha, Qatar. The e-tailer is the consumers’ go-to supermarket due to the innovative grocery shopping solutions it offers to them. The customer service is ranked highest as compared to other grocers in the same country. The grocer delivers fresh produce, meat and seafood products to its shoppers in no time to consumers.
Upshot
To conclude, food retailers need to keep up with the ever-changing landscape of the grocery industry and revolutionise it in the Middle East. While the shoppers in the region still love to visit grocery stores, providing top-notch digital grocery solutions should be the priority of Middle Eastern retailers. Companies having an online presence need to upgrade it continuously. Those with no digital presence need to develop as soon as they can and use various social media streams to promote it. The region also needs to opt for the latest data gathering, digital supply chain solutions along with increasing sustainable efforts.
