Raha

Do you remember the controversial discussion about me saying Kuwait is the Switzerland of the Gulf region? I was wrong. 👻 👉 Kuwait seems to be outperforming Switzerland - at least when it comes to automated warehouses. In this episode of #CommerceTalks, I had a refreshing conversation (even though it was 35 degrees) with Saleh AlTunaib, the CEO of Raha, an automated grocery platform based in Kuwait. Founded in 2020, Raha sells groceries, fresh produce, and household essentials and is very focused on #innovation and #automation. They started in traditional brick-and-mortar retail and have quickly become experts in automation. They became so good at it that they're now expanding into SaaS to sell their expertise. Rather than trying to dominate the entire market, Raha aims to enable other businesses to adopt automation, offering a micro-fulfillment center approach to other retailers in the region. This cooperative approach not only helps retailers but also accelerates the growth of #onlinegrocery shopping in the region. Pretty impressive, isn't it? A company that truly understands the benefits of starting #digitaltransformation sooner rather than later. That way, they were able to transition smoothly from stage to stage (brick-and-mortar, pick-up in-store, building a dark warehouse in their store, dark warehouse, fully automated, …). Waiting until the pressure is so high to move from stage 1 or 2 to stage 5 is extremely expensive. And it doesn't get cheaper the longer you wait. I would say, that many companies in Europe can take a leaf out of their book. Thank you, Saleh, for your time and participation, and to my excellent co-host on this episode, Lina Gallagher. If you're passionate about innovation in #digitalcommerce, automation, and the grocery industry, this a must-listen. Dive into the full conversation here https://lnkd.in/eq73_PAJ and share your thoughts in the comments below. I'd love to hear about your experiences on how innovation has shaped the way you shop for essentials. #SeamlessKSA #ecommerce