RIYADH, 19 August 2007 — Much to the delight of the shopping community, the French retailing giant has opened a new Geant Hypermarket in Al-Kharj, a major township located about 85 kms east of the Saudi capital city. The new hypermarket at the fashionable Kharj’s Jaw Mall, which now sells over 55,000 products besides a range of services under one roof, covers a floor space of 4,500 square meters including service areas.
“With outstanding choice and prices plus an amazing location, the new Geant Hypermarket will be a favorite destination for the people living in and around Kharj town,” said Tim Sutton, general manager of Geant Saudi Ltd., while speaking on the occasion of the store’s opening yesterday. Sutton said that the store with 30 cashiers is the newest hypermarket in a region adjacent to Riyadh with a progressively growing population.
The hypermarket will be an entirely new shopping experience for people of Kharj township, which is surrounded by small suburbs and densely-populated villages in a radius of some 150 kms, said Sutton. The new hypermarket will stock and sell a large number of products and services like groceries, bakery and butchery products, textiles, fashion wear, shoes, jewelry, electronics, sporting goods, household items and accessories, cosmetics, perfumes and much more.
Referring to the expansion plan, he said that “Geant’s entry in Kharj is a very exciting time for us and we believe that by situating ourselves there, we give consumers the added convenience of a one stop shopping destination.” This hypermarket incorporates a very high standard of display and merchandising and is today a leader in aesthetically designed hypermarkets, said Geant’s general manager. It has raised the bar and set new retailing standards in the industry, he added.
“Another key element is the unique consumer launch promotion,” said Aleem Ahmed, Geant’s marketing manager. The store is experiencing a heavy rush since its opening, he added. “The crowd of shoppers coming to this new hypermarket is very encouraging to notice and we wish to thank each one of them, as well as the government officials, for all their support and cooperation,” said the Geant executive.
The new store has dedicated sections for different product categories, from provisions and fresh food to garments and electronic goods. The store is strategically laid out to enable leisurely shopping and ease of access to merchandise, Sutton said. The hypermarket is the sixth outlet of Geant’s expanding world of retailing, which currently employs over 2,500 people of different nationalities in the Kingdom.
