Spinneys to enter Kuwait: Premium grocer Spinneys will expand into its fourth GCC market through a joint venture with Kuwait’s Alshaya Group, where Spinneys will hold a 51% stake and oversee operations, according to a company disclosure (pdf). The JV plans to roll out 10 outlets, with the first set to open in 2026.

Alshaya? Founded in Kuwait in 1890, Alshaya is one of the region’s largest franchise operators, with over 4k stores and more than 125 digital businesses across MENA, Turkey, and Europe. The group employs more than 50k people and represents 70+ international brands including Starbucks, H&M, Bath and Body Works, Shake Shack, Chipotle, Victoria’s Secret, and Charlotte Tilbury.

Kuwait’s draw: The country — the GCC’s fourth-largest economy — is a “high potential market” with plenty of options for growth, Spinneys CEO Sunil Kumar said, pointing to its affluent customer base with some of the region’s highest disposable income levels.

The move is the latest in a wider regional expansion drive, which has seen Spinneys open 12 stores in the UAE and two in Saudi Arabia since April 2024 — when the company first announced plans for its KSA expansion — shortly before raising AED 1.38 bn on the DFM in May. It plans to open at least four new stores in the Kingdom every year for the next five to 10 years. Spinneys today operates 86 outlets across the UAE, Oman, and Saudi Arabia, including those under the Waitrose banner.

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