Spinneys opens at new mall

Spinneys, which will open its 10th store on October 29 at the Mercato Mall on Jumeirah Beach Road, is planning to open up to four stores by the end of next year, said a senior official.

New Spinneys stores are set to open in Al Ghurair, by mid-December, and the Bin Sougat mall in Rashidiya, by about June.

"This is what has been confirmed so far but there are two more stores under discussion for next year," said Jannie Holtzhausen, chief executive, Spinneys at a preview of Spinneys Mercato.

But before Spinneys Mercator opens next Tuesday, Spinneys Jumeirah - further down the road - is set to close.

After its doors close, probably on Saturday, work will commence to transform it into more of a convenience store. It is expected that the Spinneys Jumierah store will be ready for customers again in about a year, added Holtzhausen.

The group is confident that most of the customers from the Spinneys Jumeirah store will move to its newer, bigger store at the Mercato Mall during the interim.

"Spinneys Mercato is about 40,000 sq ft and it is the biggest one we have got," said Cliff Morris, store manager of the new Spinneys. "This is the biggest one we have got by about 15,000 sq ft."

The new outlet aims to provide more in the way of fresh and prepared foods, deli items, and a larger array of groceries.