McARTHUR Retail Development Specialists’ Post

McARTHUR Retail Development Specialists is proud to share this article from our friend Stefan Breg, Managing Partner - Consulting at 𝐊𝐄𝐀𝐍𝐄. Along with Magdalene Sylvie Welch, KEANE's Senior Concept Development Manager, Stefan recently led panel discussions at the 𝐑𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐥 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐂𝐢𝐫𝐜𝐥𝐞 2024 𝐢𝐧 𝐑𝐢𝐲𝐚𝐝𝐡. The discussions highlighted the rise of food halls in Saudi Arabia, the strong entrepreneurial spirit with over 50% of Saudis planning to invest in F&B, and the rapid growth of the coffee sector. The panel emphasized a data-driven approach to optimizing F&B space for maximum efficiency. The success of local entrepreneurs like Rakan Aloraifi and Eman Fallatah, who are creating innovative, bespoke F&B concepts, was also showcased. Check out this article to understand the exciting changes in Saudi Arabia's food and beverage industry, along with useful tips on planning the best use of space for restaurants and cafes. It's a must-read for anyone interested in the future of dining in Saudi Arabia. 𝐂𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐤: https://lnkd.in/gRpkx8BW For more retail updates and stories follow our page: https://lnkd.in/gFcqfuYK #RetailUpdates #FoodandBeverage #RetailStrategy #RetailConsultant

As traditional food courts are evolving into dynamic food halls, how do we foresee this integration impacting consumer engagement and retail strategies in the market? Keane's session at the 2024 Retail Leaders Circle Summit provided transformative insights into the convergence of retail and food & beverage sectors. Read the session's key takeouts and explore how these innovative changes are set to redefine the shopping and dining experience in retail spaces. 👇

Very often, a hot new restaurant brand shows up in Mingora's Food Panel UAE & KSA quarterly database. It has high level of visits and consumer spends. The lines are long, menu usage is high and the buzz is real. Then just as fast, data start showing consumers moving on to some other new brand, leaving our original star with low sales levels, multiple locations struggling to make money and rapidly eroding investor confidence. Food Panel identifies one major reason for this collapse: Lack of consistency. It is not uncommon to see Food Panel tracking new brands posting lower scores vs category on some of the most crucial determinants of customer satisfaction. Wave after wave. Until sales decline to match that poor experience. In most cases, these brands have expanded too fast, leaving people and systems behind. Consumers sense that fast and after some bad experiences, move on. When this happens, no amount of price discounts or shiny new products will likely bring them back. All the best brands in the world are built on consistently delivering to expectations. There are no exceptions. #foodpanel #datanotopinions #uae #ksa #data #restaurant #qsr #cdr #finedining #newbrands #innovation #operations #consistency

I had the chance to interview #AlanSmith, the CEO of Agthia Group PJSC, a homegrown #UAE food & beverage company that has grown in strength, both regionally and globally over the past two decades. Speaking at #Gulfood, the CEO highlighted the strategic M&A activity the company has planned in the tech space, which will take Agthia further and faster into the future of F&B. Watch the video on the link below. https://lnkd.in/dVnuMFiz

Running a successful F&B outlet requires a lot more than just good food and service. To stay ahead of the competition, focus on building value for your team and guests, personalize their experience, and use data and trends to understand your business. Challenge your costs monthly, engage with your team the same as your guests, and put well-being at the heart of what you do. Be consistent, over communicate, and continually innovate to stay relevant. Remember, retention is key. #FandB #RestaurantManagement #HospitalityIndustry

Saudi Arabia's traditional QSR Burger chains have never faced as intense an assault on their market shares as they do now, and many are simply unequal to the challenge. Mingora's Food Panel showcases 5-year sales, sale/store and net store builds trends of top burger chains, international and local, and it is clear the traditional powerhouses have not kept pace with the growth of the category. Many have lost net stores count, some are struggling with rapidly declining sales and for some, net profitability is also under threat. A decade or so ago, Hamburgini & Burgerizzr democratized 'better burger' category in KSA, permanently changing customer expectations. Today, new burger chains have added more than a generous dash of innovation, digitization and creativity to the category, making it unrecognizable from 5 years ago. These new chains haven't priced themselves out either. Example: Customers can get a beef burger, french fries, soft drink and sauce for only SAR 27 (USD 7.2) at Sign Burger (below: drive thru lines stretching out to main road). The game, though, is not lost for big burger chains in KSA. Examples abound of top chains in global markets making comeback after comeback. There is something to be said about 'big' - it allows for large investments in people and brand that smaller players simply can not afford. The fundamentals of good food and good operations that made these chains big in the first place, are their rocks to build on. The questions remain: will complex partnerships and private equities that own shares in many QSR groups allow those investments to happen? Have they put together high-caliber teams to lead turnaround? Are they looking at their own boards for critical guidance? Do they have a consumer-led game plan? In a relentlessly entrepreneurial market such as Saudi Arabia, share gains and losses will solely be on today's merit, not on past glories. #foodpanel #qsrburger #datanotopinions #share #innovation #digitization

🔑 Location growth is often a key indicator of present and future success for QSR and FSR brands. Every new location opening is exciting–a chance for a fresh start–and publicly sharing its goals for expansion shows a brand’s potential, its market opportunity, and its ambition to seize it. 📈 The 2023 Restaurant Operations Report found that 96% of operators plan to open at least one location in the next 12-18 months; brands that currently have more than 250 locations have plans to open an average of 38 locations in the next 1.5 years. 🎯 It’s easy to set goals, it’s another thing to execute on those goals. Check out our latest blog where we highlight 9 high-growth brands in their endeavor to open their next several hundred or thousand locations and the strategies that they’ll employ to get there: https://lnkd.in/dC2Rrsin

DGC & Partners Announce the Formation of Truffle Hospitality Holding in the Kingdom of Bahrain     Dividend Gate Capital (DGC) and its partners announce the launch of Truffle Hospitality Holding, a holding company dedicated to investing in a diversified portfolio of food and beverage businesses in the Kingdom of Bahrain.   Truffle Hospitality Holding aims to invest in high-growth F&B companies across multiple segments, ranging from restaurants and cafes to various cloud concepts. The new holding company will leverage DGC's expertise in acquiring and scaling consumer brands to help F&B businesses reach their full potential.   "We see tremendous opportunity in the food and beverage space, which continues to benefit from strong consumer demand and tailwinds such as increasing disposable income and interest in premium products," said Mohamed Khonji, Chairman of Truffle Hospitality Holding. "With Truffle Hospitality Holding, we are building a platform to identify promising F&B companies and help them accelerate growth through operational improvements, geographic expansion, product innovation and strategic acquisitions."   Truffle Hospitality Holding aspires to be Bahrain's largest umbrella of food and beverage entities, setting regional benchmarks in quality, innovation and sustainable growth. With the aim of having a portfolio of numerous brands and concepts, the holding company aims to implement operational best practices across its entities while providing strategic advantages that would streamline operations, reduce costs and ultimately drive growth.

Protect your own customers first. Even a cursory look at Food Panel's menu mix data from UAE's top QSR chains shows there are many ways of winning within the same category. What works for one competitor may not necessarily work for another. Brands must ask their regular users if the changes they intend to make to copy or counter competitor moves will resonate with them. If not, hands off. #foodpanel #datanotopinions #uae #qsr #knowyourcustomers #knowyourcustomerscustomers

🥘 Exciting Announcement for the F&B and Hospitality Industry! 🍱 We’re thrilled to announce that the Annual Restaurant Leaders Sentiment Survey for 2024, set to launch on February 14th, is a collaborative effort brought to you by UAE Restaurants Group , Hospitality Asset Managers Association MEA - HAMA MEA , and Mingora Reflecting on the insights from our 2023 survey, we’re proud of the valuable data and trends we’ve been able to capture, thanks to your active participation. The 2023 Mingora F&B Survey, in partnership with UAERG and HAMA MEA, unveiled critical insights that underscore the resilience, innovation, and strategic pivots within the UAE’s F&B and hospitality sectors. 🔍 Key Highlights from the 2023 Survey: • Consumer Behavior Adaptation: Demonstrating agility, the industry has rapidly adapted to evolving consumer preferences, especially in digital ordering and home delivery. • Sustainability Initiatives: A strong shift towards sustainability was noted, with many leaders championing eco-friendly practices and local sourcing. • Technological Investments: The investment in technology to enhance customer experiences and operational efficiencies has been significant. • Optimistic Growth Outlook: Despite facing challenges, there’s an undeniable optimism for the growth and resilience of the F&B industry in the UAE. As we prepare to dive into the sentiments for 2024, we invite you to preview the draft of our upcoming survey. Your feedback is crucial to ensuring that our survey accurately reflects the industry’s pulse. 👉 Preview the 2024 Survey- https://lnkd.in/dVSYXKx2 Let’s continue this journey of insight, collaboration, and growth. Your voice is essential as we, together with our partners at UAERG and HAMA MEA, strive to shape the future of the F&B and hospitality industries in the UAE. Stay tuned for the official launch, and let’s make the 2024 survey the most impactful yet! #FandBIndustry #HospitalityIndustry #UAE #RestaurantLeaders #MingoraSurvey #UAERG #HAMAMEA #Innovation #Sustainability #TechnologyInHospitality