Middle East

While large supermarkets and hypermarkets continued to dominate grocery retailers in value terms in 2023, small local grocers in the United Arab Emirates experienced a resurgence towards the end of the review period. Operators of small local grocers…

Numerous supermarket chains in the United Arab Emirates continued their expansion efforts in 2023, with notable contributions from LuLu Supermarket, Grandiose Supermarket, and Spar. LuLu Supermarket aims to strategically expand into smaller store…

Unattended payment solutions are helping to reshape vending in the United Arab Emirates by providing customers with a convenient and secure way to pay for goods or services. Companies such as ADCB Islamic Banking and Verifone offer unattended payment…

Apparel and footwear specialists in Israel are those notably affected by macroeconomic factors in 2023, with a notable rise in import costs and concurrent increases in essential family expenditures such as housing, food, and gas. Additionally,…

Appliances and electronics specialists in Israel continued on a pattern of normalisation in 2023, aligning with the global trends of correction after the surge in sales seen during the pandemic lockdowns, as consumers focused on creating the optimal…

Big grocery retailers continued to expand their reach by opening convenience stores in Israel in 2023, targeting urban customers in a highly competitive environment to enhance accessibility and cater to the evolving needs of city-dwellers. This move…

Direct selling in Israel in 2023 was reported to have somewhat benefitted from consumers spending more time at home due to the geopolitical situation in the country. As such, products which can be delivered to consumers’ homes are attracting…

There was a notable rise of private label brands among discounters in Israel in 2023, with brands such as second-placed Rami Levy (Rami Levy Shivuk Hashikma Ltd) prominently featuring a diverse range of products under its private label. Indeed, such…

General merchandise stores struggled in Israel in 2023, due to decreased footfall in the areas where these stores are located. This is due to the ongoing geopolitical unrest in the country, with many consumers re-embracing e-commerce platforms as…

Health and beauty specialists is a retail channel seeing a stable performance in Israel in 2023, mostly controlled by large players who import international brands. Indeed, Super-Pharm (Super-Pharm (Israel) Ltd) holds just over half of all brand…

Sales of home products in Israel in 2023 were being supported by the surge in demand for housing. Indeed, according to local news reports, the last quarter of 2023 saw home prices rise, which demonstrates a surge in demand for housing. In turn, this…

Retail e-commerce in Israel continued to be supported by the constant evolution of retailers’ online platforms in 2023. Indeed, retailers and consumers alike were forced to embrace e-commerce during the era of the pandemic lockdowns and restrictions,…

Retail in Israel in 2023 was affected by the political and economic panorama in the country, as the war continues. Inflation remained high and mortgages became much more expensive, with significant hikes in monthly repayments for homeowners. Added to…

Small local grocers remained dominated by unnamed “others” in Israel in 2023, with only two players noted by name – Nizat Haduvdevan Kanfei Nesharim Ltd and Anise Teva Ltd. However, Anise Teva health food stores has been involved in the controversy…

Supermarkets in Israel saw greater value growth in 2023 compared to the previous year, which is partly attributed to shifts in the competitive landscape through the arrival of new players. For example, as discussed in discounters, we are seeing the…

Vending was showing a stable performance in the post-pandemic landscape in 2023, with relatively few players across the level of brand share. These players have been operating in vending in Israel for many years, with steady client locations and…

Apparel and footwear is thriving in Saudi Arabia with strong demand stemming from changing fashion trends, consumer preferences, the return of religious pilgrims and tourists, the demand for quality products and government regulations. Moreover, the…

Appliances and electronics specialists in Saudi Arabia experienced steady growth in current value terms in 2023. Factors that contributed to this positive growth included increasing purchasing power, population growth and urbanisation. Furthermore,…

Due in part to Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 strategy the Kingdom is experiencing accelerated population growth and internal migration toward concentrated metropolitan areas. This has presented opportunities for quality-focused convenience stores to…

Increasing health awareness and consciousness of consumers in Saudi Arabia helped to maintain strong demand for home delivered bottled water in 2023, which is one of the leading products within direct selling. Most households in Saudi Arabia are…