Carrefour exits more GCC countries: Kuwait stores shut after Bahrain, Oman, Jordan

Dubai: Carrefour has shut down all its stores in Kuwait, marking the latest chapter in the French retailer’s rapid retreat from the Gulf. The surprise closure, announced late Tuesday through an Instagram post, comes just two days after Carrefour’s exit from Bahrain — and follows earlier withdrawals from Oman in January and Jordan in November 2024.

Dubai-based Majid Al Futtaim (MAF), which owns exclusive rights to operate Carrefour in the Middle East, has not explained the series of exits. Yet, the timing of the closures aligns with the rollout of its new homegrown grocery brand, HyperMax, which is being positioned as Carrefour’s replacement across these markets.

Similar transitions happened in Jordan and Oman earlier this year, where HyperMax took over soon after Carrefour’s withdrawal.

Carrefour’s sudden exit from Kuwait adds to growing speculation over the future of the brand in the Gulf. For nearly three decades, Carrefour has been a household name across the region since MAF introduced it in 1995. Today, MAF still operates over 390 Carrefour outlets in 12 markets spanning the Middle East, Africa, and Asia.

Yet the shift to HyperMax suggests a calculated pivot. Industry watchers say the move could reflect MAF’s push to strengthen control over its retail strategy by moving away from a global franchise model to its own proprietary brand.

For consumers, the closures mark the end of an era. Carrefour, long associated with affordable groceries and household goods, is being replaced by a brand few had heard of until this year. Whether HyperMax can quickly build the same loyalty remains to be seen.

What is clear: one of the Gulf’s most recognizable supermarket names is vanishing from more markets, while its operator doubles down on a new identity. Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, and Jordan are now Carrefour-free zones — and shoppers are waking up to a retail landscape that looks very different from just a year ago.