Geant opens at Ibn Battuta

French hypermarket chain Géant made its foray into the UAE yesterday with the opening of a 200,000 square foot hypermarket in the Ibn Battuta Mall.

Sultan Ahmad Bin Sulayem, chairman of Nakheel, formally opened the hypermarket.

The mall is Nakheel's first retail project following the opening of Chinamex.

The development is located next to the Gardens, close to the sixth interchange on Shaikh Zayed Road (opposite the Jebel Ali Power Stations).

Géant Hypermarket is part of Groupe Casino, a French retailing giant with a turnover exceding $30 billion (Dh110 billion) per annum.

Its local operator, Fu-Com, a 50/50 joint venture between Bahrain-based Retail Arabia and the Al Ghurair Group, has invested Dh110 million in the hypermarket.

Plans are in the works to open three to four more Géant locations in the UAE, company representatives said. This is the second French retail chain to enter the UAE in ten years, following Carrefour's launch at Deira City Centre in 1995. Géant's entry will increase shoppers' choices, company representatives said.

"We will offer a whole new retail shopping experience to our customers. In three to four years' time, we want to become a significant player in the UAE's retail scene," said Mazher Paper, director of Fu-Com.

"Each of the new hypermarkets would require a similar investment of $30 million [Dh110 million]. It takes between eight to ten years to recover the investment."

Géant sells over 65,000 products. Its representatives expect to achieve daily sales in excess of Dh1 million.

"This hypermarket incorporates very high standards [especially where its] displays and merchandising [are concerned]. It has raised the bar and sets new retailing standards in the industry," Papar said.