• The new brand will be available at Carrefour’s flagship store, Mall of the Emirates

Dubai, United Arab Emirates: Carrefour, which is owned and operated by Majid Al Futtaim in the UAE, has introduced The Zola Collective to its flagship store in Mall of the Emirates. The female-led, wellness and lifestyle brand was one of 14 start-ups and SMEs to win the Majid Al Futtaim Launchpad programme in 2022 – which aims at accelerating the growth and productivity of smaller businesses that are from the region and for the region.

Focused on well-being and impact, from the palms of artisans in Africa, The Zola Collective’s products are handmade using natural ingredients and clean beauty formulations. From healthy superfoods and loose-leaf teas, to candles, natural oils and skincare, Carrefour will shelf a wide range of sustainable products for customers to choose from.

Bernardo Perloiro, Chief Operating Officer – GCC at Majid Al Futtaim Retail, said: “The success of SMEs and start-ups is essential in our retail value chain as we continue to support the local economy. By helping other businesses grow, we can create a positive impact that ripples beyond our own customer base and talent pool. Moreover, identifying new brand partners with innovative and compelling offerings provides our customers with unique products that we know they will love and appreciate. For this reason, we are thrilled to be adding The Zola Collective – one of the first winners of Majid Al Futtaim Launchpad – to our shelves, facilitating its international growth strategy whilst helping our customers access their sustainable wellness range.”

Anusha Mahtani and Misha Patel – Co-Founders at The Zola Collective, commented: “We built The Zola Collective on a core set of values, to create demand for ethically sourced African products. Naturally grown superfoods like Avocado Oil and Baobab powder benefit our customers’ health, as well as the communities making them. Every Zola purchase supports a stable source of income for farmers and the promise of a better future. Majid Al Futtaim have given us the opportunity to accelerate this impact through exposure in Carrefour stores. As interest grows, we will continue building The Zola Collective circle of benefit and are excited to bring more people on this journey.”

Majid Al Futtaim Launchpad targets regional start-ups to provide unrivalled access to business growth incentives, mentorship programmes, and a vast innovation ecosystem. The business accelerator programme took place for the first time in 2022, focusing on core growth areas including homegrown brands, health and beauty, and proptech. Winners were identified for demonstrating ingenuity, originality, and vast commercial potential – and, of these, 50 per cent were female-led.

Carrefour is constantly pursuing original, innovative brands to add to its extensive catalogue of products. The leading retailer will continue to nurture entrepreneurship, support growing businesses and drive the local economy across a growing network spanning 16 markets.

The launch of The Zola Collective at Carrefour is a move in line with the UAE Government’s focus on supporting small-medium businesses – which are considered vital for economic diversification and growth, whilst building national human resources.

-Ends-

Media Contact: 
Alexandra Richards – Memac Ogilvy  
E: alexandra.richards@ogilvy.com   
Raed Matarbazi – Carrefour UAE 
E: RMatarbazi@mafcarrefour.com  

About Carrefour

Carrefour was introduced to the region in 1995 by UAE company Majid Al Futtaim. The Company is the franchisee for Carrefour in over 30 markets across the Middle East, Africa and Asia. To meet the growing needs of its diverse customer base and communities, Carrefour offers omnichannel customer experiences tailored to the needs of the modern consumer. Through its innovative physical and digital customer services, Carrefour provides access to an unrivalled choice of quality products, at unbeatable value for the 750,000 customers it serves daily. Committed to supporting local economies, producers and suppliers in the communities it serves, Carrefour resources over 80 per cent of its products from the region.

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About Majid Al Futtaim

Founded in 1992, Majid Al Futtaim is the leading shopping mall, communities, retail and leisure pioneer across the Middle East, Africa and Asia.

A remarkable business success story, Majid Al Futtaim started from one man’s vision to transform the face of shopping, entertainment and leisure to ‘create great moments for everyone, every day’. It has since grown into one of the United Arab Emirates’ most respected and successful businesses spanning 17 international markets, employing more than 43,000 people, and obtaining the highest credit rating (BBB) among privately held corporates in the region.

Majid Al Futtaim owns and operates 29 shopping malls, 13 hotels and four mixed-use communities, with further developments underway in the region. The shopping malls portfolio includes Mall of the Emirates, Mall of Egypt, Mall of Oman, City Centre malls, My City Centre neighbourhood centres, and five community malls which are in joint venture with the Government of Sharjah. The Company is the exclusive franchisee for Carrefour in over 30 markets across the Middle East, Africa and Asia, operating a portfolio of more than 400 outlets including City+, the region’s first checkout-free store, and an online store.

Majid Al Futtaim operates more than 600 VOX Cinemas screens as well as a portfolio of world-class leisure and entertainment experiences across the region including Ski Dubai, Ski Egypt, Dreamscape, Magic Planet, Little Explorers and iFLY Dubai. The Company is parent to a Fashion, Home and Specialty retail business representing international brands such as Abercrombie & Fitch, Hollister, AllSaints, lululemon athletica, Crate & Barrel, LEGO and THAT, a Majid Al Futtaim fashion concept store and app. In addition, Majid Al Futtaim operates Enova, a facility and energy management company, through a joint venture operation with Veolia, a global leader in optimised environment resource management.

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