Abu Dhabi: A new set of standards intended to modernise grocery stores across the capital was introduced yesterday by the Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority (ADFCA).
The rules, which include uniforms for staff, security systems, wider aisles and bicycles for delivering food, will be mandatory for all stores before the end of the year.
"Grocery stores, like all other urban features of the capital, will need to complement the Abu Dhabi Vision 2030. The sector has been studied and we have been speaking to grocery store owners. Now it is time to implement those standards," Mohammad Jalal Al Reyaysa, director of communication and community service, told Gulf News.
He was speaking at a public event held to introduce the ADFCA standards to grocery owners. The standards are first set to revamp all 1,300 grocery stores across the capital city, followed by others across the emirate.
According to details revealed at the event, the grocery stores of the future will include not only wider aisles and more organised displays but could also house ATM machines, small kitchens to prepare snacks and coffee counters.
"Any business needs to invest in order to change and move with the times, and this is what the ADFCA standards require from grocery owners. However, the new model will also offer additional areas of earning revenue and adding value such as snack counters and ATMs," Al Reyaysa said.
— With inputs from Sara Hassan, Staff Reporter
