Géant Hypermarket, the French retailing giant located at Ibn Battuta Mall, is now open to the public. A ribbon cutting ceremony led by Nakheel Chairman Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem and other dignitaries was held at the main entrance of Géant on 23 March 2005, to signify the formal opening of the hypermarket.
Géant hypermarket is a part of the French retailing giant Groupe Casino; the hypermarket will cover a floor space of 200,000 square feet including service areas where consumers will be able to find a variety of products and services.
Murray Scanlan, Mall Manager of Ibn Battuta Mall noted that, “Géant is the newest hypermarket in the region and will be an entirely new shopping experience for people in the UAE. Géant stocks and sells over 65,000 products ranging from groceries, bakery and butchery products, textiles, fashion wear, shoes, jewellery, electronics, sporting goods, household items and accessories, cosmetics, perfumes and much more.”
In 2000, a partnership was forged between Retail Arabia, a member of the BMA group - one of the Gulf’s largest and oldest retailing groups, and Groupe Casino, one of France’s best-known and largest retailers. These two companies have worked together to bring Géant to the UAE for the first time.
Mazher Papar, Director of Retail Arabia stated that, “Geant’s entry in the UAE is a very exciting time for us and we believe that by situating ourselves at Ibn Battuta Mall 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 the market in aesthetically designed hypermarkets. It has raised the bar and set new retailing standards in the industry. Another key element is the unique consumer launch promotion, whereby we will be giving some lucky customers free shopping for a year, this will be apart from the regular gift vouchers, plasma TV’s and notebooks to be won,” added Mr. Papar.
Ibn Battuta Mall is based on the journey of famous Arab traveller and scholar, Ibn Battuta. The Mall is set to capture peoples’ imaginations, allowing them to experience a world of shopping and entertainment unlike any other.
