Spinneys is bringing UK home-comforts to the Middle East

Dubai-based fresh food retailer Spinneys currently operates 74 stores across the UAE and Oman and is the only company in the world to run 16 Waitrose stores outside of the UK. The retailer is tapping into the expat community offering consumers quality British produce and is now the largest vender of pork in the region. Following its success, the supermarket chain has plans to expand to Saudi Arabia soon.??

Ahead of Gulfood this month in Dubai, Spinneys General Manager – Commercial, Tom Harvey explains what’s driving the growing taste for UK food and drink products in the market.??

1. What makes the UK food and drink offer attractive to Spinneys??

We have a large western customer base, particularly British consumers and a very large tourist customer-base that enjoy seeing familiar brands and products from home. Several members of the buying team are British and worked extensively in UK retail before joining Spinneys (including me) and as such we have many strong partnerships with UK food and drink producers that go back for many years. This gives us reliable sources of high-quality products that we can grow and develop for a long-term sustainable future.?

2. Why is there an appetite for UK food and drink in UAE??

UK food and drink is well recognised globally as having some of the highest quality standards in the world. When some expats first move over here, they can feel a bit uncertain about locally produced products and familiar brands can help provide some assurances when settling in. Additionally, many international consumers living in the UAE share this love for iconic UK brands and UK-sourced products. For example, as soon as British strawberries come into season, we see a significant uplift in our total fruit sales.??

3. What makes UK stand out on the global stage??

The diversity of quality products and the seasonal nature of some goods. We are always able to find new and interesting or best in season products that deliver the premium taste experience our customers are looking for.?

4. What advice do you have for UK food and drink businesses who are looking to export??

• Be willing to invest. You will be competing on a global stage and the competition is much fiercer.?
• Understand who your consumer is and how you want to position your brand. Spinneys always prefers direct relationships with our producers rather than working through a distributor so that we can provide direct feedback and work in a more effective partnership than a distributor model allows.??
• Be willing to change. Legislation and food standards policies can differ significantly from UK. You will only truly succeed if you can be flexible to meet the needs of different consumer groups.?

Discover UK food and drink businesses at Gulfood 2024 from 19 - 23 February 2024.??

For support on selling your products to markets all over the world visit www.great.gov.uk?