KAMPALA, UGANDA: Carrefour Supermarket has announced it has reached an agreement to take over six stores currently operated by Shoprite Supermarkets in Uganda as the latter nears exit of the local market by the end of the year.
The six stores set to be taken over are located in Acacia Mall Kamwokya, Village Mall Bugolobi, Victoria Mall Entebbe, Lugogo Mall, Clock Tower, and the new Arena Mall in Nsambya.
The transaction will further expand the regional presence of Carrefour whose franchise is held by Dubai-based multinational Majid Al Futtaim.
Under the lease transfer agreement, Shoprite Checkers Uganda Limited’s stores and moveable assets will be taken over by Carrefour.
“We welcome the opportunity to bring our unique Carrefour offering of unbeatable value, range, international standards to more customers across Uganda,” Hani Weiss, the chief executive of Majid Al Futtaim Retail, said in a statement.
“This agreement represents our continued investment in East Africa. We look forward to strengthening our offering in the region and supporting local talent through employment and career development opportunities.”
Shoprite’s impending exit from Uganda follows the recent closure of its stores in Kenya, with the multinational scaling down its operations outside South Africa.
Majid Al Futtaim currently operates two Carrefour-branded stores in Uganda and the agreement with Shoprite will raise its operations in that market to eight branches.
The parties said they will work to ensure a smooth transition of the stores and operations.
Carrefour has also been expanding in the Kenyan market where it is now one of the major retailers alongside Naivas.
Majid Al Futtaim launched its first Carrefour store in Uganda in December 2019 in Kampala’s Oasis Mall, and in March 2021 opened its second store in Naalya. It currently provides 20,000 products across its stores, of which 98% are locally sourced. Customers are also able to order products online through partnerships with Glovo and Jumia Food.
Both parties will work closely together to ensure a smooth transition of the stores and their operations. The six stores are located in Acacia Mall, Village Mall, Victoria Mall, Lugogo Mall, Clock Tower, and Arena Mall. As part of the agreement, the Lugogo Mall and Clock Tower properties will also transfer to Majid Al Futtaim who remains committed to its local supply chain and now, new tenant partners.
Additional Reporting by BusinessDailyAfrica
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