It will be the third store outside of the UK with two stores operating successfully in the United Arab Emirates. Waitrose, managed by Dubai based Fine Fare Food Market LLC, is located at The Lagoon, Amwaj Islands. Fine Fare Food Market LLC (FFFM) manages the store in Bahrain through their local operating company Supa Save Bahrain WLL.
The new supermarket offers Waitrose products, including the successful essential Waitrose range, as well as locally sourced products to meet the needs of the local Bahrain customers. The wide range includes fresh and frozen foods, groceries, delicatessen, cheese, fish, meat, patisserie and hot food counters.
The new store creates 75 new jobs, with over thirty Bahrainis employed at the store. FFFM will run its daily operation, with a focus on delivering the high levels of customer service and fabulous food that shoppers expect from the Waitrose brand. FFFM has a close working relationship with Waitrose in the UK.
“Expanding our business into the Middle East supports our long term growth plans to make the Waitrose brand accessible to more people in more places. Following the excellent sales performance and positive customer response from customers in the region, we are thrilled to be opening our first store in Bahrain in such a unique location,” said David Morton, Waitrose Director of International Development.
“Our partnership with Fine Fare Food Market LLC enables us to deliver quality food that suits the needs of local shoppers and we’re currently working together to find more suitable locations in the region, with the aim of opening more shops in the Middle East.”
“The is a very exciting project for us, which would not have been achieved without the assistance of the local Ministries and government departments, who have supported us from the outset,” added Patrick Lawrence, Property Manager of FFFM.