Alshaya Group, a retail franchisee headquartered in Kuwait, has ambitious plans to increase the presence of Starbucks in the Middle East, with a target of reaching 3,000 stores by 2028, as reported by the World Coffee Portal.
In its role as Starbucks’ franchise partner for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), Alshaya Group intends to launch 250 new Starbucks stores each year throughout the region.
Alshaya Group sets sights on expanding Starbucks:
At present, Alshaya manages an extensive network of approximately 2,000 stores spanning across Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
World Coffee Portal quoted Alshaya Group CEO John Hadden as saying, “Amidst vast opportunities, the Middle East stands out as a thriving retail hub.
“Accepting Starbucks’ award for ‘Most Admired Transformation in the Food Service Sector’ at the Middle East-focused retail event, Hadden said the coffee chain’s journey in the region continues to flourish.
“Notably, we’ve seen significant growth in female workforce participation in Saudi Arabia while the expanding presence of Starbucks amid healthy competition is driving our ambition further.
“Our plan is to open 250 more outlets annually, aiming for 3,000 outlets in the next five years from the current 2,000.”
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Hadden officially announced the plan during the Middle East Retail Forum (MRF) 2023 held in Dubai.
In July this year, Starbucks marked a significant milestone by launching its 400th store in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The Alshaya Group celebrated this achievement by sharing it in a Facebook post. The recently unveiled store found its home in Jeddah Park, a prominent shopping and entertainment center in Jeddah.