UAE-based Truebell to expand retail, food ops with new deals

UAE-headquartered Truebell, a leading GCC importer of fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), is adding a wide range of new products to its existing portfolio of over 10,000 products.

The retail and food services division of the company has entered into exclusive distribution agreements with a number of leading brands including Yorkshire tea, La Rose Noire, Nocciolata and Sacla to begin distributing their products during the second quarter of 2019, said a statement.

Leading retailers across the UAE such as Spinney’s and Carrefour will be stocking up on products such as OHO cereals from Lithuania, Yorkshire Tea (UK) and Bulla Dairy from Australia, it said.

Meanwhile, our food service division will see the launch of a wide variety of products from Sacla’s antipasti range, Rana frozen pasta and Nocciolata organic chocolate paste – all of which are from Italy – as well as baked sweet treats from The Cookie Tree (USA), Tortilla Mexicana wraps (Serbia), BoBo frozen food products (Singapore), Palaccio Mondelez Cake (Spain), over 12 favours of Komplet’s ready thaw and serve cakes (Germany) and a range of new handmade chocolate products from La Rose Noire – providing chefs with both sweet and savour delicacies.

Jitendra Gandhi, director, Truebell, said: “These new partnerships further underscore our expansion plans in the retail and food sector following the opening of our new state-of-the-art distribution centre in September last year.”

“The 25,000-sq-m fulfilment centre, which is located in Dubai Industrial Park, allows us to accommodate a wider range of dry, frozen and chilled goods in greater volumes. This facility was custom-built and incorporates technology, which enables us to provide exceptionally efficient service, delivering the freshest, top quality products to our customers,” he said.

Truebell’s retail and food services business continues to benefit from the Gulf’s favourable geography and the ongoing growth in hospitality and retail.

According to KPMG’s latest F&B sector survey, Dubai alone is home to 2,935 F&B outlets per million residents – second only to Paris which currently has 3,656 outlets per million residents.

Meanwhile, the latest data from Euromonitor International reveals the retail industry in the UAE is projected to increase 18 per cent between 2018 and 2023 from $55 billion to $63.6 billion.

Adding to this, Dubai’s retail sector is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.2 per cent between 2018 and 2023, according to new analysis conducted by Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

In 2018, Dubai’s retail sector generated an estimated Dh142 billion in sales, marking a growth rate of 6.8 per cent with store-based retailing continuing to dominate sales, accounting for a market share of 95 per cent.

According to Gandhi, one of the biggest challenges facing distributors at present is the increasing number of large retailers in the region who are establishing their own distribution centres and working directly with the brands they sell.

He said: “While this has created some disruption for distributors across the region, we haven’t felt the impact as our new fulfilment centre has enabled us to position Truebell as a leading distributor with an impressive sales arm and the most advanced logistics infrastructure.”

Truebell has grown exponentially since it was established in 1984. Today, it has a portfolio of over 10,000 products, underscoring its position as a leading importer, wholesaler, distributor and exporter in the GCC.

“Plans are already afoot to expand our wide-range of existing products under our retail and food services division, with further announcements expected throughout 2019,” Gandhi concluded. – TradeArabia News Service