Al Maya Group Expansion

Dubai-based Al Maya Group is investing Dh40 million in an expansion involving the setting up of eight new supermarkets and at least two fashion retail stores in the next 12 months. The company, which split with Al Maya Lal's Group three years ago, currently operates 30 retail outlets including 15 supermarkets. The company which along with Lal's and Choithram once controlled the UAE's organised retail sector, is resisting the hypermarket sector for the time being.


The business mission of Al Maya Group was to expand among other supermarkets and not to compete with other Hypermarkets like Carrefour and Giant. They are focusing on the neighborhood retail outlets because they believe that customers need many super markets that are close to their houses.


One the other hand, the way that Al Maya Group chooses to compete through, falls under product-market scope which is an element of core strategy. They planned to expand by opening different new stores including many super markets. Also, part of their global expansion, they opened the first British Home stores on Poland.


Al Maya Group’s core competencies come from their ability to operate well in the super market sector which is growing nowadays. They used the opportunity of the large growth in the retail sector by opening different supermarkets in different areas.


Al Maya Group decided to reach their customers through fulfillment and support. With traffic growing and high gasoline prices increasing by 30 per cent, Al Maya Group feels that the segment of retail stores of the market will only grow. Most of the people will spare themselves the inconvenience of driving to hypermarkets where parking is a problem, for a few bucks. As a grow number of consumers are buying from those neighbourhood retail outlets, that’s means they are convenient and no need to enter the hyper market race.


In my opinion, Al Maya group is doing a good job by focusing on the neighbourhood retail outlets. People in these days do not have time to spend hours and stuck in the traffic just to get few things from hypermarkets. People are becoming more convenient by having super markets close to their houses.