Spanish Eroski hopes to resume construction of Ourense shopping centre
Spanish retailer Eroski says it is eager to resume an ambitious project for 2017; the construction of a large shopping centre in the Galician province of Ourense. The proposed development would feature a hypermarket, 80 shops and 2,472 parking spots. The company is waiting for the Consello de Ourense (Ourense's local council) to approve the Plan Xeral de Ordenaxión Municipal (PXOM), which would grant the retailer permission to build its shopping centre on the proposed site. Having already invested €30 million out of an expected €100 million in the project, a representative for Eroski told Galician newspaper Faro De Vigo, "There is no going back." (esmmagazine.com)
Majid Al Futtaim expands in Oman and Pakistan
Majid Al Futtaim has opened its seventh Carrefour hypermarket in Nizwa, Oman, and its first Hyperstar hypermarket in Islamabad, Pakistan. The 5,000 sq. m store in Oman is part of a shopping centre in the city, while the 6,000 sq. m store in Pakistan is in Islamabad's World Trade Centre. The opening of the two hypermarkets maintains Majid Al Futtaim’s continued expansion strategy, which saw it open nine new hypermarkets and 11 new supermarkets in its 2015 financial year. (igd.com)
Al Meera to open six stores
Al Meera has announced it has signed agreements with two parties that will lead to the building of six new stores. The retailer aims to open 14 stores in the next two years, as it aims to reach of total of 55, with the six already identified to be added in Al Khor, Azghawa, Leabaib, Rawdat Abal Heeran, Saileya and Umm Qarn. Al Meera has said it will invest QAR238.7m (US$65.5m) in the building of the six stores and associated shopping centres. (igd.com)
Uchumi closes further outlets as it looks to cut costs
Kenya-based Uchumi, which continues to deal with the fallout from alleged accounting irregularities, has announced that it has closed five stores as part of its ongoing reorganisation process. The retailer said that the closure of the five stores, in Embu, Eldoret Sugarland, Kisii, Nakuru and Taj Mall, will help it cut costs and help it back on its path to recovery. (igd.com)
CFAO to invest in Cameroon
Following the opening of its first Carrefour branded store in January 2016, as part of a shopping centre in Cote d'Ivoire, speculation suggests that CFAO will invest some US$500m in the building of 20 further shopping centres across Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, DRC, Gabon, Ghana, Nigeria and Senegal. The reports suggests that the company will open five stores in Cameroon initially as it looks to build a presence in the country. (igd.com)
Choppies maintains expansion strategy in Zimbabwe
Botswana-based Choppies has said that it will maintain its pace of expansion in the short term as it opened its 17th store in Bulawayo and its 29th in the country overall. Zimbabwe has been a success for Choppies since it entered the country in 2013, with revenues rising 49% to BWP587m (US$51.8m) in its recently announced results. Choppies has a medium term aim to operate 50 stores in the country, with further stores set to be opened in the 2016 calendar year, in Gokwe in April, and then in parts of Harare where it does not operate later on. (igd.com)