final file-UAE's Best Retail Companies 2021

UAE's Best

Retail

vol 04 ISSUE 07

Companies

2021 Acknowledging Change Cashier-less stores: the next big step for the retail industry Timeless Tech The impact of modern technology on the retail sector

Toufic Kreidieh | Chief Executive Officer

BFL GROUP

EDITOR’S DESK

T UAE's Best

Retail

2021

vol 04 ISSUE 07

Companies

2021 Acknowledging Change Cashier-less stores: the next big step for the retail industry Timeless Tech The impact of modern technology on the retail sector

Toufic Kreidieh | Chief Executive Officer

BFL GROUP Retail Sector in UAE: Creating a Benchmark

he way the retail sector in the United Arab Emirates has emerged and transformed by continually upscaling itself is exemplary.

Once known for its oil reserves and dry fruits, the UAE has matured dramatically in the retail sector.

It is not just the local retail houses but even many global retail giants who have tried their luck in the Arab Emirates and have been remarkably successful.

Petroleum and natural gas still contribute largely to the economy of the UAE, but it has diversified its businesses and subsequently its economy. This thirst to diversify and multiply its economy, particularly in the retail sector, has made the entire world look up to the Emirates. It has adapted to digital platforms quickly and competently recognising the need of the hour.

There are many favourable factors that have aided in the success of this diversification. One, the UAE has a robust economy that is always on the rise and some amount of negative growth hardly has a negative impact. It is for the same reason that the retail marked too is thriving and can afford a slight downslide as the market will not exactly face an adverse effect. Second, a stable government and healthy policies have contributed to a gigantic extent. Third, there are no trade unions. Add to

these, an unparalleled infrastructure, efficient logistics and customs services, excellent tracking, and tracing systems. The UAE also has the advantage of a growing tourism industry.

With advancements in technology retailers in the UAE have embraced the new ways of conducting business to meet the demands of the consumers at local and global level. And technology has definitely proved to be most advantageous during these trying times of the pandemic.

Technology percolated deep into the retail market of late with many brick and mortar retailers also shifting to the new market dynamics. E-commerce platforms are getting lot of attention by retailers in the UAE, and this will only surge with time.

The Emirates provides a huge range of choices with respect to brands. Franchisees to international brands have also made available a myriad of options for the consumer of today who settle for nothing below standards. International conglomerates coupled with local retail tycoons have been creating waves in the retail sector of UAE. Food retail has the largest share while the apparel, footwear, beauty and cosmetics are some of strongest retail products flourishing at exponential rates.

According to a study conducted couple of years ago, the UAE retail market was valued at $55 billion in 2019 and it is estimated to reach up to $75 billion by 2025.

As a mark of admiration for the success of UAE’s retail sector, we chose some companies that stand tall in this sector making its presence felt on the global map. We featured them in this special edition – UAE’s Best Retail Companies 2021.

Have an amazing read!

Sumita Sarkar

Article

24

Acknowledging Change Cashier-ls stores: the next big step for the retail industry

30 Timeless Tech The impact of modern technology on the retail sector

C

08

O C O V E R S T O R Y

BFL Group On the Path to Unprecedented Global Success

N T E N T S

16

20

Circle K

Jashanmal Group

Catering World Class Service with High Quality Products

A Legacy of Reliability, Empowering the International Retail Sector

28

34

Microless

Sawaya International LLC

Tailoring Tech Solutions with Ease and Expertise

A Leading Player in Global Retail Space

Editor-in-Chief Sumita Sarkar Senior Editor Anish Miller Managing Editor Abhishaj Sajeev Assisting Editors Vrushali, Arran Visualiser David King Art & Design Head Asha Bange Art & Design Assistant Priyanka Rajage Co-designer Paul Belin Art & Picture Editor Vivek Mane Business Development Manager Sherin Rodricks Marketing Manager Joseph D'souza Business Development Executives Kelly, Michael Sales Executives Jenny, Mark, Alice Technical Head Jacob Smile Assistant Technical Head Amar Sawant Technical Consultants Pratiksha, Aditya, David Digital Marketing Manager Alina Sege Assistant Digital Marketing Manager Amol Wadekar SME-SMO Executives Gemson, Renuka Research Analyst Eric Smith Circulation Manager Tanaji sales@insightssuccess.com

April, 2021 Corporate Ofce Insights Success Media Tech LLC 555 Metro Place North, Suite 100, Dublin, OH 43017, United States Phone - (614)-859-2600 Email: info@insightssuccess.com For Subscription: www.insightssuccess.com

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Company Name BFL Group bflgroup.ae

Management Toufic Kreidieh CEO & Director

Brief The BFL Group is one of the world’s leading off-price retailer of fashion and homeware offering up to 80% off the original price for fashion designer brands. Its unique business model - Brands for Less, driven by optimized rapid-purchase strategies, became a phenomenon across the Middle East.

Laurent Guitart CEO

Circle K is one of the world's largest convenience store operators founded in 1951 in Texas, USA, and quickly expanded internationally, offering an expansive range of consumer brands and provides services to commercial and residential communities.

Usama Bagsiraj CEO

Gadgetby is one of the most popular online shopping destinations in UAE, offering a wide range of the latest gadgets at a competitive price coupled with exceptional service.

Consolidating years of experience, Gadgetby strives to achieve the highest levels of customer satisfaction.

Jashanmal Group jashanmalgroup.com

Khaled Soliman Founder

The Jashanmal Group is one of the leading trading, distribution, and retail companies in the Middle East with more than 100 internationally curated brands and 30+ exclusive labels. The group's retail operations span over 150 stores in the UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, and India.

Microless uae.microless.com

Maksim Nadzhar CEO

Microless is one of the biggest computer parts and gaming PCs retailer and e-commerce store in the middle east, along with two physical stores, which offers custom gaming PCs building, computer trouble-shooting and repair services too.

Circle K circlek.ae

Gadgetby gadgetby.com

Milano Group milanogrp.com

Sara Group Holding saragroups.com

Sawaya sawayagroup.com

Sedar Global sedarglobal.com

Top Rock Interiors toprockinteriors.com

With over 20 years of experience in providing total Below-theRizwan Ahmed Qureshi line solutions, Milano Group is a household name led by a team of young energetic people who have deep knowledge of CEO consumer's passions and aspirations.

Tushar Singh CEO

Fadi Sawaya CEO

Bashar Selo CEO

S.C. Suresh Babu CEO

The Sara Group is a marketing organisation providing comprehensive 'Retail and Distribution' services in Saudi Arabia and UAE, providing world-class retail, distribution, business consultancy services and more.

Sawaya Group is among the leading distributors and developers of beauty products in the Middle East which sports an inspiring team of creators, designers and innovators in the cosmetic industry. Sawaya operates to serve customers needs as well as fill gaps of demand in the market constantly.

Sedar Global is an illustrious company that has been around for over 125 years and now is present in over 10 countries with 22 branches all ready to serve households with the highest quality, durable, and fashionable solutions.

Top Rock Interiors is a leader in the interior fit-out industry which advises, designs, develops, manufactures, and installs interior works for its clientele in retail, food & beverage, leisure, fashion, and commercial sectors - from single-trade jobs to turnkey solutions, for new builds and renovations.

BFL Group “ On the Path to Unprecedented Global Success

Every BFL store visit is an experience, a treasure hunt with the latest innovative products, items and gadgets waiting to be discovered.

C O V E R

S T O R Y

Toufic Kreidieh | Chief Executive Officer

UAE's Best Retail Companies 2021

F

or any retailer, an enhanced shopping experience based on price and quality is a priority for customer retention and sustaining the brand value. These aspects are directly related to purchases, be it clothing or grocery, especially at physical stores.

This edition, UAE's Best Retail Companies 2021, brings into spotlight, innovative retail companies that have ingrained their value propositions within the needs of their customers, seeking to become the most soughtafter retail brands in the UAE. One prominent name among such companies is the BFL (Brands for Less) Group, a leading off-price retailer of fashion, home ware, and

toys. The group has expanded its business with more than 74 stores spread across six countries in the Middle East and Europe.

The goal is to prioritize customer satisfaction by integrating innovation at the very heart of what the company does, according to the BFL Group's business model.

“Our retail model makes every BFL store visit into an experience, a treasure hunt with the latest innovative products, items and gadgets waiting to be discovered. Customers love the fact that they can always find new products on shelves at exceptional value and great bargains with in our large selection of categories,” says Nathalie Hamad, Retail Manager at BFL Group.

The BFL Group offers a wide variety of off-price fashion and home ware products and toys from more than 4,000 designer brands. The company offers high-end luxury brands at a discount of up to 80 per cent of the original retail price.

Apart from a strong business culture, the BFL Group believes in leading by example. For instance, the company provides comfortable environment for the employees; focuses on enhancing their sense of belonging; and recognizes their contributions to the organization.

“Having employees who engage with the company, has helped us become who we are today. Due to the efforts that we have put in over the years, we

have managed to become a leading player in the region (off-price industry). Moreover, the success formula of our business model is to provide our customers a string of daily new arrivals, exclusive items and treasure hunt. Who doesn't love a great deal?”says Toufic Kreidieh, Chief Executive Officer of the BFL Group.

A Strong Foundation Kreidieh has been serving as CEO at BFL Group since the company's inception. He is an entrepreneur and businessman, renowned for establishing the BFL (Brands for Less) Group alongside the Managing Partner and Co-Founder,Yasser Beydoun.

The two entrepreneurs started this enterprise with their flagship concept

The success formula of our business model is to offer our customers well-known brands at extremely affordable prices. Who doesn't love a great deal?

“

Through the course of 20 years, we have always made sure we keep our customer at the heart of everything we do.

“

'Brands For Less' in 1996 in Lebanon.

As the business developed, they moved the company's headquarters to Dubai, United Arab Emirates and launched their first store in 2000.

Today, the BFL Group has a large retail presence in the Middle East and Europe and has exclusive rights to distribute several international brands.

Kreidieh and Beydoun have successfully expanded BFL's by creating and acquiring different concepts like Toys For Less, Homes For Less, Tchibo, Mumuso and Muy Mucho, a renowned Spanish Home décor brand which was launched recently in the UAE. The founders' perseverance is an inspiration for the organisation which comprises more than 2,500 employees and has an e-commerce platform that is capable of catering to customers from all over the world.

Providing valuable advice to budding entrepreneurs in the retail business,

Kreidieh says: “When Beydoun and I first started, there was no other off-price retailer in the Middle East.

Over the course of 25 years, we have had to make sure that a customercentric approach continues to lead our journey.”

“We believe the key to success, particularly in our case, is to integrate unique merchandise purchasing and inventory turnover into our retail model, creating a treasure-hunt experience, which adds surprise element in the shopping experience as customers explore our new assortment, in-store and online.”

Kreidieh further adds: “Finding out which customer insights your business can tap into and creating a positive experience around them is key to staying focused and working hard to achieve your business vision. Many people will say that it is impossible, but we know that there is no gain without pain. As we always say, the sky is the limit.”

Overcoming Adversities The BFL Group also experienced an impact on its operations due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Kreidieh says the company's retail stores witnessed a drop in sales last year, along with footfall because of the lockdown and corresponding precautionary measures.

“The fashion industry has been substantially affected by the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet, we were absolutely and firmly committed to ensuring the safety, well being, and health of all our employees and customers, while also preserving the sustain ability of our business during such uncertain times. We always aim to provide the best solution for everyone.

We are also one of the first retail companies to have 99 per cent of its employees vaccinated as we believe

Yasser Baydoun | Managing Partner that it is our responsibility towards the society. Therefore, it was a Shot of Solidarity,” he says.

In the initial days of lockdown, the BFL Group solely relied on online shopping and took all necessary measures to deliver entirely safe packages to its customers. As governmental restrictions were gradually lifted, a large amount of people headed back to the malls leading toa rise in footfall.

To ensure the steady stream of

customers, the company has adopted the best hygiene and safety measures across its 74 branches, warehouses, and offices since the beginning of the pandemic. The BFL's facilities have been reorganised to meet the community needs and to offer a safe shopping experience.

Leveraging Technology Ont he necessity of adopting and implementing modern technologies within a business, Kreidieh believes that evolving with the new

technologies is no longer optional.

Instead, it is essential for the development of any business.

“Therefore, we have partnered with IQ robotics to leverage faster turnaround, injecting new stock into our branches.

With over 160 robots, the BFL Group's shop fulfilment will have a processing power of 150,000 pieces a day,” explains Kreidieh.

With a decrease in footfall due to COVID-19 restrictions in malls, the BFL Group has increased investment in e-commerce since the pandemic began. To combat that, the company is developing an online fulfilment centre dedicated solely for its online orders.

With an aim to improve its e-commerce channel, BFL believes this new facility acquisition will have a positive impact on the company's revenue and online business growth.

In addition to this expansion, the BFL Group is keen on becoming a more sustainable organization. Therefore, the company has recently partnered with Al Rostamani Group and invested in a 958 KW solar project which will generate around 1,600,000 kWh of solar energy and save 700 metric tons

of carbon dioxide emissions per year.

“Working together to become a more environmentally responsible organization will help us deliver on our promise to ensure the welfare of the community,” says Yasser Beydoun.

Striving for Excellence Speaking about the BFL Group's plans on scaling its operations in 2021, Kreidieh says it is the start of a new adventure. “The BFL Group has expanded into Europe, and we will be operating four MUMUSO stores by the end of this year in Malta. This will pave the way for the company's growth in more than four European countries within the next five years.”

Moreover, the BFL Group is determined to further grow in the Middle East and has already started an expansion plan that covers Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Oman.

Additionally, the company is also looking forward to having its products shipped worldwide through its extensive e-commerce platform and eventually become pioneers in the online value sector.

The BFL Group acknowledges that the

overall e-commerce market, especially the direct-to-consumer segment, is growing exponentially. The changes that would have taken place over a decade are now being accommodated in a matter of months following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The company has not shied away from the challenge and is committed to continuously adapt and expand to successfully fulfil the growing needs of its customers.

Moreover, the state-of-the-art e-commerce fulfilment facility will be built on more than 30,000 sqm of land in order to mark BFL's presence in the market as the company aims to go global.

“The facility will be ready by Q1 of 2021 and we are excited to reap the fruit of our efforts,” concludes Kreidieh.

Circle K

Catering World Class Service with High Quality Products

T

he retail food industry has seen a massive upsurge in the past couple of decades and is expected to expand even further. What makes these retail food stores so popular as against traditional food stores is value for money, hygiene, and ambience.

Convenience stores is the buzzword today and food retailers are leaving no stone unturned to deliver the best with a variety of options.

We spoke to one such food retailer, Circle K that is focused on becoming the top convenience store. Following are the excerpts of the interview: Please brief our audience about your company, its values, and how the company has been positioned as a leading player in the retail space.

Circle K is one of the largest food retailers in the world and is recognized as a Leading Global Franchise. It was brought by Convenience Arabia in 2009, catering a unique shopping experience for customers. We have been awarded as Best Convenience Retail Chain, three consecutive years in a row - 2017, 2018 and 2019. We are also Ranked #9 on the Top 10 Global Franchises for 2012 by Entrepreneur magazine, ahead of KFC, Domino's,

Dunkin' Donuts and 7-Eleven. What makes us remarkable? It is the unique locations that we have.

What products does your company offer, and how are these making an impact on the industry and your customers?

We have got on-the-go healthy snacks, fresh food, hot meals, beverages, pastry items, the everyday necessities for your family. We impact our customers' experience by catering a world class service and keeping the highest quality of products with healthy attributes for our customers.

Brief us about Laurent Guitart and his journey in the industry, and how they have contributed towards the company's success.

The joining of Laurent Guitart in the team in 2015 brought a tremendous success for the company. He implemented numerous positive result programs, deep reorganization of management team and its Company Strategy Mission and Vision. He improved purchase and operations platform resulting in substantial increase in revenue and margin and streamlined relationship of partners and suppliers. Under his leadership, Circle K got awarded Best Retail

Convenience Chain in UAE for three years in a row.

Being an experienced leader, share with us your opinion on how the adaptation of modern technologies such as AI, big data and machine learning have transformed the retail industry and what more could be expected in the near future?

Artificial Intelligence, big data and machine learning help us to rethink how we integrate information, analyze data, and insights to improve identifying our decision. We are forced to adapt these changes to cope up with the modern way of living. We can expect that in the near future retail stores will become unmanned and that only machines will work for them, such as smart vending machines.

Taking into consideration, the current pandemic, and its impact on global economies, how are you driving your company to sustain operations and ensuring safety of your employees at the same time?

Our immediate action helped protect the team and at the same time our business. Always, safety comes first.

So, we implemented safety measures at

16 | April 2021 | www.insightssuccess.com

UAE's Best Retail Companies 2021

all our outlets and in our office. It was a tough decision that we decided to close some of our stores, minimizing manpower from head office team to operations team, requesting the landlords for rent relief, and sending letters to suppliers to hold their payments and asking them to understand the situation. It was a horrible season for all businesses, but that is the reality.

What would be your advice to budding entrepreneurs who aspire to venture into the retail space?

My advice for them is to wake up 5 am every morning and be grateful. Learn to adapt the changes quickly, study the market trends and to put the customers at the heart of the business.

How do you envision scaling your company's operations and offerings in 2021?

Laurent Guitart Chief Executive Officer

“

Learn to adapt the changes quickly, study the market trends and to put the customers at the heart of the business.

“

We keep showcasing great products in front of our customers, so they cannot resist but buy our products. At the same time, we do sales promotions. It has been used for decades and the outcome was always great success.

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UAE’s Best Retail Companies 2021

Jashanmal Group

A Legacy of Reliability, Empowering the International Retail Sector “Legacy is not what I did for myself. It's what I'm doing for the next generation.”

T

hese words by Brazilian mixed Martial Artists Vitor Belfort stand true to Rao Sahib Jashanmal, who by founding Jashanmal Group in 1919, left a legacy behind, which has become a global name catering to clients and creating job opportunities across different countries.

Since its inception, Jashanmal Group has been a reliable partner in retail space for international fashion and footwear, travel gear, home appliances, and publishing companies seeking an opportunity to enter the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. Today, the group's retail operations span over 150 stores in the UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, and India. Our distribution network extends to more than 1,000 outlets.

Furthermore, under the leadership of CEO Khaled Soliman and with the strong support of a proprietary logistics network that manages freight-forwarding, warehousing, regional, and international supply chains, Jashanmal Group has established itself as an equity partner in several regional joint ventures.

“At the heart of our new value creation strategy is our innovative philosophy of transforming relationships into partnerships," says Khaled, "We are closely working with international business partners in the premium and luxury sectors to help build brands in the GCC region through our retail operations and extensive distribution and wholesale network."

Read the following interview where Khaled Soliman shares the success saga of Jashanmal Group also how the company came out strong while facing the challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic.

What products does the Jashanmal Group offer, and how are these making an impact on the industry and your customers?

We offer a wide selection of premium and high-quality goods from appliances and luggage to home, beauty, books, and fashion. There has been a shift in consumer behavior, customers are focusing more on self-care and are looking for products that create value in their lives. During the recent pandemic, our appliances were in demand, there is a strong emphasis on health and wellbeing.

Being an experienced leader, share with us your opinion on how the adaptation of modern technologies such as AI, Big Data, and Machine Learning has transformed the retail industry and what more could be expected in the future?

AI, Big Data, and ML adoption are reshaping the retail industry across inventory planning, supply chain management, and customer data management. We can now create better demand forecasting models using Big Data and AI to mine granular insights from trading patterns, consumer behavior, competitor activities, and make proactive changes to our marketing, merchandising, and pricing strategies.

AI and Big Data are also playing a significant part in our communications with customers whereby we can personalize CRM strategies and tailor offers and promotions based on customer demands.

20 | April 2021 | www.insightssuccess.com

“

Khaled Soliman CEO of Jashanmal Group

At the heart of our new value creation strategy is our innovative philosophy of transforming relationships into partnerships.

“

About the leader

Since the day Khaled Soliman joined the Jashanmal Group his mandate was to turn around the organization and march along with the next century. His vision to work towards transforming the company to be compatible in an increasingly digital environment, all the while ensuring the best possible in-store and online shopping experience has led Jashanmal Group to new heights.

Khaled developed and implemented the necessary strategies required to innovate from the inside and roll out fully immersive technology-driven retail spaces. Jashanmal Group launched its e-commerce business during the pandemic and in less than a year it has contributed 3-4% of the turnover.ss

21 | April 2021 | www.insightssuccess.com

With more maturity of these technologies in the future, we expect their adoption to be the norm rather than a choice.

Retailers not integrating these technologies run the risk of losing market share.

We can expect more personalization in assortment, promotions, and experiences based on customer personas built on ML and Big Data in both stores and online.

Interactive chat, guided discovery, and conversational support will play a bigger role in traditional customerfacing roles. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has already been a catalyst to this change due to physical distancing.

But I think in the short term, Supply Chain Management will be the biggest benefactor of these technologies, as we should see time and material spillovers reduce, with more accurate demand and delay forecasting.

Taking into consideration, the current pandemic, and its impact on global economies, how are you driving your company to sustain operations and ensuring the safety of your employees at the same time?

For businesses, there have been many lessons to be learned.

Just like every other company we had to control our cost structure especially when operating remotely which has become a new normal with various segments of the businesses being more virtually connected now than ever before.

The pandemic has accelerated the growth of e-commerce, contactless purchases, service, and digital payment platforms. We are now more agile and confident in contactless and virtual interaction across all areas of service and business.

The safety of our employees is our priority. We continue to provide an environment that respects the best and highest occupational health and safety standards as per the U.A.E guidelines. Regular disinfection of the office spaces, maintaining social distancing, and flexibility to work from

home are some of the key measures that have been undertaken by the Jashanmal Group.

What would be your advice to budding entrepreneurs who aspire to venture into the retail space?

The retail space is dynamic. It is constantly evolving. It is important to know your business well and have a long-term vision. I would strongly recommend the young aspirants to test the market for their product portfolio through different options pre-committing to any retail space investment.

Retail spaces are not easy to maintain and can be quite a drain on your expense account.

How do you envision scaling your company's operations and offerings in 2021?

Today Jashanmal Group stands at a cusp of expansion and innovation and we all have exciting times ahead of us. We live in a data-driven world that requires digital dexterity and customer-first innovation, changing the status quo and an entire culture to prioritize long-term digital transformation is like trying to solve a Rubik's Cube on a rollercoaster.

For us, digital will continue to spearhead. We are making our divisions lean, efficient, and technology-focused and are constantly revisiting our product portfolio and offerings.

22 | April 2021 | www.insightssuccess.com

Cashier-less stores the next big step for the retail industry

I

magine it’s a Saturday or a Sunday morning, you’ve just woken up after having an exhausting previous day at the office. You realise, today you do not have any pressure or deadlines or any work calls that require to be attended. In fact, you can just relax the entire day, make plans with friends, and enjoy your day.

However, it is the only day you are free to finish up on some household or personal chores like, grocery shopping. So, you think to yourself, “okay no problem. I shall make a quick trip to the store and be back in a jiffy to enjoy the rest of my day”.

You reach the store; you pick up whatever stuff you need and proceed towards the check out. And bam! You see a huge line ahead of you of people standing with tons of items required to be checked out.

The rest of that day flashes before your eyes, you wonder what time you will get home, how much time you will have to relax before you have to go to sleep in order to be back at work the next day, and that entire feeling you got as soon as you woke up earlier that day, slowly starts to drift away.

Sounds exhausting, sad, and disheartening, doesn’t it? Well, you don’t have to be worried about that anymore.

Thanks to technology constantly evolving and being upgraded to suit the needs and requirements of humans through AI and machine learning, there is now technology that will help you walk into the store, pick up your items and walk out without having the need to stand in a queue and wait for the cashier to bill your items.

“Shoplifting?”, that is where your mind

24 | April 2021 | www.insightssuccess.com

Acknowledging Change wandered off to first didn’t it? Unfortunately for all the kleptomaniacs out there, no, this is not about shoplifting.

Technology has now contributed towards the innovation and implementation of ‘cashier-less’ stores. With machine learning, algorithms run by artificial intelligence, data analytics and computer vision, brick and mortar stores now allow a digitalised user experience for customers who visit their stores.

By offering an omnichannel experience at every touch point to the customers, here is how the stores that adopt this technology function: Ÿ

Smartphone Application – In order to enter a cashierless store, you will be required to have a smart phone with a particular app that will need to scan a provided QR code. On scanning this QR code, your information will automatically be registered in the data base of the store.

This also analyses your shopping pattern and in turn is able to provide you recommendations on their behalf with respect to the same. Once you are done with shopping, this same digital platform will charge the bill to your phone app once you leave the store and leaves you with a cashier-less shopping experience. Ÿ

Sensors – The one thing that is imperative for you to know before entering a cashier store is that everything is being monitored and recorded. From every step you take to every item you touch, there are cameras and sensors all over the place to know exactly what item you have chosen or even displaced for that matter and will report and record it back to the CPUs.

scan each of their items and wait for the bill to be generated. The process is simple; customers pick up their items, and the bill is automatically generated and requests payment from whichever digital wallet the customer has connected to the stores app.

Getting the whole frustrating process of waiting in lines out of the way, this cashier-less digitalised payment option will definitely generate more sales.

Using this technology, the stores will be able to use lesser resources and also reduce staffing requirements and that naturally increases the amount the store makes on every payment.

Is it completely smooth flowing?

The stores who choose to adopt this technology and implement a cashier-less experience will naturally hold certain advantages over the normal stores that haven’t.

However, this technology has its drawbacks: Ÿ The fact that in order to enter the store, you will require to have the store app downloaded on your phone along with digital wallets in order to complete the entire shopping process, is in itself a drawback as not every person is technologically savvy and don’t necessarily possess the digital wallet apps. For first time shoppers, who aren’t aware to the proper process this will be to be difficult. Ÿ

Cashier-less stores take the entire customer-sales rep interaction out of the picture. Therefore, for certain products that a customer may need particular information on might pose to be an issue if there won’t be a store representative around. Hence, there will always be a requirement for manual staff to be present.

These sensors are also able to sense the weight of an item.

These measures while updating the store on the items in your basket also help regulate any “funny” activities trying to be pulled by the customers.

In conclusion, cashier-less stores will definitely change the entire dynamics of the retail industry. The option of generating more profits through sales and less resources is a major influential factor.

Why should stores consider the option of a cashier-less store?

The primary reason for stores to adopt the cashier-less experience is profit. Even though, the process of implementing a cashier-less store will be expensive, the return on it will be manifold.

Adopting this technology most certainly has its drawbacks; however, those issues aren’t unsolvable. Stores operating with and providing a cashier-less experience to customers will absolutely possess an advantage over others as in the end, what matters most is increasing customer satisfaction and improving customer experience.

- Arran Calvert

These stores will generate more sales and revenue as customers will not be required to stand in line and have to

25 | April 2021 | www.insightssuccess.com

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UAE's Best

Retail

2021

vol 04 ISSUE 07

Companies

2021 Acknowledging Change Cashier-less stores: the next big step for the retail industry Timeless Tech The impact of modern technology on the retail sector

Toufic Kreidieh | Chief Executive Officer

BFL GROUP

“

Choose E xc e l l e n t, Choose Insights

.com Tailoring Tech Solutions with Ease and Expertise

T

he ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has changed our way of living. With maintaining social distancing being the viable solution, working from home has become a new normal. With that, the requirement for computers and tech parts was also increased.

Microless.com came as among the retailers for individuals to have their requirements fulfilled while staying at home during the pandemic.

In operations for more than 10 years, the company made its presence online with a website to widen its reach. The concept that was a brainchild of Co-founder Maksim Nadzhar has helped establish Microless as a renowned name in the tech-retail space.

Read the following interview to know more about the success saga of Microless, the company's growing reach, and how it has survived the ongoing pandemic to come out strong and widen its range to cater to its customers with quality products and services.

Please brief our audience about Microless.com, its values, and how the company has been positioned as a leading player in the retail space.

Microless has been in the market for over 10 years now as the go-to destination for everything related to electronics, computers, gaming PCs, and all the related accessories. In the

past year, the company has also moved towards a marketplace format to expand its list of categories and products offered by getting trusted local sellers on board.

This has made Microless even a stronger player in the market. Our core values are to provide the best possible service to the customers, making the shopping experience easy, hassle-free, and enjoyable while providing the best prices and quick service across the GCC and beyond.

What products does your company offer, and how are these making an impact on the industry and your customers?

The range of products on our website is growing day by day. Currently, Microless is focused on everything related to computers, electronics, and office-related products.

By offering all the electronics and computer-related products at affordable prices in one place with fast delivery, we have made it easy for customers to get their latest tech, especially during these special times with COVID-19.

Brief us about your journey in the industry.

The initial company started its operations more than 10 years ago. It was set up by my father - Khasan Nadzhar. He always had a passion for computers and so, he opened a computer shop in Sharjah, where people living nearby could come and

buy their computer-related requirements.

After several years, when I was still studying in high school, we decided to launch an online shop where we will be able to drastically increase our reach, as well as the variety of products offered. So, I developed the website and the system to manage it and started working on promoting it. With a strong belief in the idea and a lot of hard work, we have been growing ever since.

Being an experienced leader, share with us your opinion on how the adaptation of modern technologies such as AI, big data, and machine learning has transformed the retail industry and what more could be expected in the future?

AI and big data are crucial elements to growth and success in the modern environment. Big data lets us find correlations in huge amounts of data and based on the findings we can make changes or tweak the system to increase the revenue.

AI and machine learning have a huge impact as well, they allow us to predict the demand of the products, give product recommendations to customers, and much more. Nowadays, since websites have so much data about their customer behavior, websites can give better product recommendations than a person would.

I see deeper integration with AI and big data soon across all industries.

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UAE's Best Retail Companies 2021 Predictions will be more accurate, recommendations will be even more personalized, and chatbots and voice assistants will be even more human-like. AI will be everywhere.

Taking into consideration, the current pandemic, and its impact on global economies, how are you driving your company to sustain operations and ensuring the safety of your employees at the same time?

The pandemic has affected millions of businesses around the globe. It meant for many businesses that they have to digitize and move to the online space to survive. Since we are already an e-commerce company, the pandemic did not affect us negatively, in fact, it gave our business a boost, as many people have to work from home and make purchases online.

To ensure the safety of the employees, some employees were allowed to work from home, thus reducing the number of people on the premises and allowing for social distancing. The reduced number of customers visiting physical stores and face masks have contributed to the safety of employees as well.

What would be your advice to budding entrepreneurs who aspire to venture into the retail space?

Competition is strong, you have to be unique and provide a fantastic customer experience and service. Make use of the latest technologies to be informed about the ever-changing product demand, market prices. And, of course, people should easily find you for which you need a strong and right marketing approach.

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By offering all the electronics and computer-related products at affordable prices in one place with fast delivery, we have made it easy for customers to get their latest tech, especially during these special times with COVID-19.

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How do you envision scaling your company's operations and offerings in 2021?

More automation, AI, and big data to streamline the business processes, minimize errors, and improve the user experience and customer service. Also, we are actively launching new categories on the website.

Maksim Nadzhar Co-Founder

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The impact of

modern technology on the

retail sector

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Timeless Tech

O

nline shopping and digital businesses have become new normal today. Although people have been buying online for over a decade, a certain group of people was apprehensive of adopting the technological advancements.

However, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic forced everyone from consumers to businesses to explore and embrace the power of digital. This has further made ecommerce more popular among consumers being the biggest way for retail businesses to survive the pandemic.

On the other hand, technological advancement also made a bigger impact on the traditional retail market. Traditional businesses with no e-commerce presence have already experienced severe damage with slow business, bankruptcy, and some even have close the shutter forever, And this is when the e-commerce sector contributed 10% to the global retail sector in 2019. With social distancing and online shopping becoming the new normal postpandemic, the retail sector is to experience a bigger impact of e-commerce and other technologies.

The retail revolution has already started and here how it has impacted the industry so far.

E-commerce expansion in the retail sector Big brands and global organizations have already seen the changing market trends and consumer behavior. Thus, many who invested in technology supporting e-commerce, have seen significant revenue growth. The observations by eMarketer about the US e-commerce sector reaching 14.5% of retail sales in 2020 highlights the e-commerce expansion in the retail sector.

The recent shift in trends and the pandemic situation have also encouraged small retailers to invest in relevant technologies that provide quick results. Retailers who have adopted and continued to show mature eCommerce capabilities have experienced rapid online growth prudently accelerating their investments to deliver a better digital customer experience.

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Data influence in understanding customer behavior Retailers have always been on-point to collect data from the sales perspective. Many have been diligently running complex analytics to understand the customer preference of products, services, and channels.

However, during the COVID-19 pandemic, it was the location-specific and indoor positioning data that helped retailers to quickly adapt to new normal to ensure customer and employee safety. With the help of this data, many retailers could find it easier to better understand and manage the movement through the store and dwelling locations. Many have even adopted the new AI technology to ensure social distancing at the stores.

Data transfer will continue to be crucial for retailers in the future to advance their digital aspirations and enhance customer experiences. Several visionary brands in the retail sector have already started laying the groundwork for applications that will be powered by 5G and Wi-Fi 6 technologies.

Moreover, investments in hybrid and multi-cloud also seem to grow with brands’ increased need of collecting, analyzing, and utilizing data to understand and act upon changing market trends and consumer behavior.

done by the University of Warwick and Blue Yonder highlighted the importance of investing in creating flexible and automated supply chains.

This points out the involvement and impact of technologies such as AI and machine learning on the retail sector.

Moreover, e-commerce quickly adopting these technologies to enhance transparency such as informing the consumer about the delivery partner’s temperature in real-time during the COVID-19 has been among the major game-changers.

Technology will play more key roles in helping businesses navigate disruptions and enhance the consumer experience.

Technological investment – The future of retail COVID-19 accelerated the humans’ walk towards the digital era and every industry and sector across the world is already experiencing the technological impact. However, understanding the technology’s role in future growth rather than seeing it as a situational opportunity to survive the pandemic is the catch.

Don’t know where to start with creating or re-assessing your technological presence post the pandemic? Analyzing the IT cost behind these technologies could be a great start.

Remember, like a car, every technology comes with certain repair and maintenance and needs a dedicated team of one or more experts to get it running.

Improved supply chain COVID-19 has hit the global economy hard, and the retail sector continues to experience the severe impact of the pandemic. Along with the changing consumer behavior, unprecedented disruption of the supply chain has affected retail businesses across the world.

Understand and analyze the innovations in the retail sector and invest in the right technology that serves your business goals and consumers’ expectation. Falling prey to technological trends or blindly following paths the same as your competitors or ideal brands will only lead you to unnecessary struggles and losses.

- Vrushali R.

While many consumers have to face stock-outs on many grocery and cleaning supplies, other retail businesses have been experiencing snail-slow sales due to the fear of infection and a series of lockdowns and restrictions.

Technology again came forward to mitigate these issues.

Retailers adjusted the secured supplies and added more stock by redirecting inventories. In fact, a recent study was

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Sawaya

International LLC A Leading Player in Global Retail Space

C

olors, like features, follow the changes of the emotions."

Picasso had said. Colors, whether on canvas or skin, express emotions. Different tints, hues, and shades tell different stories, and when it comes to finding perfect shades for your nails, Gelish and Morgan Taylor are among the names that instantly pop up in mind. Although the pioneer of the nail industry is in America, the brand has a worldwide reach enabling their consumers in different countries to receive the rich experience of their beauty products thanks to their regional distributors.

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Sawaya International LLC has been one such exclusive regional distributor to the global beauty brands Gelish and Morgan Taylor for over 20 years. With an eye for choosing the best quality of beauty products, CEO Fadi Sawaya founded Sawaya Group in 1990 with solid determination to distribute professionally and to operate with the integrity of a handshake.

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We identify, sell, advertise, tutor, and originate.

Today, the company has established itself as an exclusive distributor for global brands in the Mena region and Africa as well as a developer and distributor for its two signature brands worldwide.

The genesis of Sawaya As the company started to work on its wider reach on and offline, several companies were established along with multiple hubs. Over the years, valuable digital experience was acquired from which Sawaya Group adapted to and is currently developing its digital shift among all its divisions; retail, education, consultancy and of course marketing. This is what keeps this company distinguished and reliable.

"We constantly attempt to study what is lacking in the market and fill the need, whether it concerns physical appearance, quality, value, service, education, and even an adaptation of culture! With the digital age we're living, speed and originality is key" Fadi explains further, Led by Fadi's ambitious vision, market experience, and zeal to cater to consumers, Sawaya Int'l LLC has moved from being a regional distributor of the international brands

to being the creator and innovator of its' own makeup line; Provoc and eyelashes extension brand; Clashes.

Technology to transform Technology has touched almost every industry and transformed the way people consume products and services today. AI, AR, and digital media especially have incepted the behavioral changes in consumers who now demand a different approach and more personalized experience from brands.

This has certainly made the market competition tougher for businesses.

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has further accelerated the technology in various business operations including sales and delivery systems as well as business operations. Realizing the demand of the current situation, many businesses are readily adopting technology to further scale their operations. "Sawaya Group has big plans for this transformational era and will be revealing them when time is right," says Fadi.

While many businesses are coming out of the COVID shadow survival during the series of lockdown was difficult for many. Talking about how Sawaya Group tackled this challenge and continued business operation Fadi said,

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UAE's Best Retail Companies 2021

"We managed to operate from home in the beginning and slowly went back to our premises each employee in separate offices taking all precautionary measures. We had a huge drop in sales, which made us focus on our e-commerce activity, and in parallel relied on international sales for overhead support.”

Voyaging towards new horizons Post-pandemic Sawaya Group is set to move forward with new zeal and plans to expand the company's reach. The company plans to expand and blossom with all its upcoming assets by 2022.

"Our new project will be the sprout to scale the coming Sawaya Group transformation," says Fadi.

While sharing plans for his company he also took this opportunity to advise aspiring entrepreneurs designing to venture into retail space. "Focus on the consumers' conscious and unconscious needs and wants", Fadi advises, "There is no longer room and time in this era for experimentation and errors. Today, digital/professional expertise, smart marketing, and fulfilling consumers' needs quickly are the major factors of success."

Fadi Sawaya CEO

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