UAE-based supermarket Spinneys will open new branches in communities across Sharjah, Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

Spinneys CEO Sunil Kumar told Zawya that the company is always looking for ways to add to the current offering.

“We are always looking for opportunities to bring our stores closer to our customers and will be announcing new store openings in communities across Sharjah, Dubai and Abu Dhabi,” he said.

Spinneys, owned by Ali Albwardy, who is also the chairman of Albwardy investments, opened its first supermarket in Dubai's Deira. The company currently has 61 stores across the UAE.

The company has also expanded its e-commerce platform to allow online shopping in Sharjah, Abu Dhabi, Fujairah and Al Ain, Kumar said.

More older stores will see a similar treatment to the revamp of the flagship store in King Faisal Road, Sharjah, which was launched last week, he added.

The company has invested further in its own production facilities in Dubai, as well as additional resources, and will be embarking on more innovation from the Spinneys Food brand, focusing on regional and global food trends. There will also be continued focus on plant-based foods, he said.

“Plant-based foods are one of the most in demand categories from our customers, and we are seeing high growth within this segment. We will continue to focus on this category in order to offer our customers the latest innovations and variety.”

The company has so far introduced 14 new brands to its shelves, with six in development, under its Spinney’s Local Business Incubator. Kumar said the initiative has created 50 jobs locally and is in support of the UAE’s food security goals.

The country aims to boost food production by 40 percent within 10 years and aims to be top of the global food security rankings by 2051.

“As the local agriculture and food productions systems develop, the quality and range available is getting better. It’s also a more sustainable choice, and customers are more conscious of this. These are the catalysts driving people to buy local.”

Last year, the supermarket launched an incubator programme for local F&B brands in support of the UAE’s National Food Security Strategy.

The Incubator Programme is continuing in 2021, with candidates already shortlisted, and plans to launch the new products in Q4 2021 and Q1 2022, Kumar said.

(Reporting by Imogen Lillywhite; editing by Daniel Luiz)

imogen.lillywhite@refinitiv.com

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