Abu Dhabi: On June 30 the capital will say goodbye to dingy old grocery stores.
Squeaky clean baqala stores stocking everything from cig-arettes and bottled water to vegetables and garbage bags are replacing the once omnipresent groceries that lined practically every residential and commercial building in Abu Dhabi.
By June 30, the extended deadline for about 1,300 groceries to finish renovations will end, marking a dramatic makeover for the city’s dusty, cramped stores.
According to figures released by the Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority, almost 71 per cent of the grocery stores have been renovated or applied for new licences under the baqala scheme.
“The numbers are what we were expecting.
“Driving around in Abu Dhabi city, especially after June 30, you will see a lot of baqalas everywhere,” said Mohammad Al Reyaysa, the authority’s director of communications.
But what is baqala bringing to residents that old groceries could not?
“The stores are much bigger and cleaner. Fruits and vegetables are available fresh and the prices remain the same,” said Mai Timothy, a Malaysian housewife, echoing the sentiments of most residents.
Two new stores have come up near her building in the Khalidiya area in place of old groceries. “They used to deliver bread and vegetables that are not fresh and I used to send them back. But baqalas stock fresh products and I am more than happy with the change,” Timothy told XPRESS.
The initial fears of losing the comfort of shopping from familiar stores have dissipated. Instead, most residents say baqalas offer better quality products and services. “It is the same except that the quality of products has improved. Food items are neatly displayed and labelled. I actually buy more stuff from baqalas than I used to from groceries,” said Ashraf Padanna, another resident.
Owners happy
And it is not just residents who stand to benefit.
Grocery store owners say their business has also improved after they opened baqala stores.
“We used to do business for about Dh3,000-Dh3,500 in a day. But now sales have gone up by at least 20 per cent,” said Kabeer who manages Al Taawush Baqala in the Tourist Club area.
“I invested around Dh150,000 to renovate my grocery. In the long run, I am confident we will get good returns as business is better than before,” said Koya Ahmad, another grocery owner.
According to store owners and staff, more people are buying fresh products like vegetables and fruits from stores now. “We cannot stock products for more than a week as the storage space is limited. Hence everything in the store is new and people like to buy from us,” said Ashraf Moidheen who runs a baqala on the Airport Road. According to him, most groceries used to store goods that could last for a month or more by stacking them on shelves of ceilings or on top of the refrigerator.
At the same time, there are dozens of groceries that closed down in and around Abu Dhabi after they failed to meet new standards and regulations.
Some simply opted out of the business.
According to estimates, around 400 stores were too small to be eligible for a baqala licence and will be closed by the end of this month.
But with new stores opening in many neighbourhoods, their absence will hardly be felt by most residents.
You Speak
What, if anything, do you miss most about your old neighbourhood grocery?
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