M&S to open five UAE foodhalls, including its largest outside UK
M&S is expanding its food business in the UAE, with five new large format foodhalls set to open over the next 12 months.
The new destination stores, opening in partnership with long-term partner Al-Futtaim, will offer the full M&S food range outside the UK for the first time. M&S said the format is scalable, with potential for more stores in time as the retailer expands globally.
Subscribe to TRBThe first store will open at Dubai Festival City in December, where Al-Futtaim has operated a fashion store since 2018. This currently attracts more than 420,000 customers a year.
Spanning 15,327 square feet, it will be the largest M&S Foodhall outside the UK. It will stock more than 3,500 M&S products, alongside 500 new locally sourced products for the market. Products from more than 200 UK suppliers will sit alongside those from local firms such as Let’s Eat and Domus.
The store will also introduce M&S flowers internationally for the first time, as well as new hospitality concepts such as a Fruit Butcher.
Al-Futtaim has operated M&S stores in the Middle East for nearly 30 years. Following the success of its fashion business, M&S is now looking to scale its food business, which already has established brand awareness of 55% in the UAE, according to M&S customer insight.
Mark Lemming, managing director of international at M&S, said: “Our purpose is to bring the best of M&S to more customers around the world.
“Building on the strength of our fashion business in the Middle East, these new large format Foodhalls are an exciting opportunity to introduce more customers in the UAE to the quality, innovation and trusted value M&S Food is known for.
“By bringing a broader range of M&S Food together under one roof, we can become a bigger part of our customers’ everyday lives, giving them more choice and more reasons to shop with us more often as we continue to grow our presence in the region.”
Wassim Arabi, president, retail of Al-Futtaim, said: “Our partnership with M&S spans nearly three decades, built on a shared commitment to quality, customer trust and a deep understanding of consumers’ evolving needs. The launch of this new Foodhall is an important milestone in that journey, bringing an exciting, elevated food shopping experience to our customers.”
