Retailers pay it forward

The world is going through a tumultuous time with death, despair and loss dominating headlines all over the world. The gap between the privileged and underprivileged is widening at a shocking pace with economies and systems crumbling. Despite that, people are still out there finding the will to stand on their feet, fight for survival, and get their lives on track and some support from the privileged parts of society can come as a much needed ray of hope during these times.

Support can be in terms of charity, donations, activism (online and offline), awareness generation, or voluntary work by individuals as well as organisations. According to the first annual MENA CSR Survey Report, 9 in 10 UAE executives acknowledge the impact of CSR.

The holy month of Ramadan is a time of giving back and retailers across the board have stepped up efforts to acknowledge the harsh realities of the crisis and extend a helping hand to those in need not just in the UAE, but all over the world.

Here are a few CSR’s some major retailers and businesses have undertaken:

10% profit donations by Danube Home

Danube Home, a Dubai-based multi-billion dollar diversified business conglomerate, has pledged to donate 10% of its profits to India to tackle the critically immense situation of Covid-19 and continues to encourage other businesses to do pay it forward.

Project Maji by Apparel Group

Aldo and Aldo Accessories, part of Apparel Group, has partnered with Project Maji, an NGO in Ghana and Kenya that helps provide sustainable access to clean water in rural populations within the sub-Saharan African region while also enabling women’s rights. The purpose of this campaign is to improve the water crisis in the small rural communities, while also being able to give access to women to become more independent.

“Be The Helping Hand” by BFL

BFL (Brands For Less) Group has said that they will be running the ‘Be The Helping Hand’ campaign during the holy month of Ramadan. This campaign aims to support Dar Al Ber Society in its honourable mission. The two ways this campaign will be implemented are by collecting donations through their physical retail stores in the UAE and on their e-commerce platform, and by taking these contributions and allocating them to Dar Al Ber’s Iftar campaign.

SHARE by Majid Al Futtaim

SHARE by Majid Al Futtaim is running a campaign that encourages people to adopt the “giving back” culture by donating a meal on behalf of every member that spends more than AED 50 in the retail ecosystem of Majid Al Futtaim. SHARE is urging its members to donate voluntarily by donating their SHARE points to NGO’s such as Al Jalila Foundation.

AED 10 million meals by Al Rostamani Group

Al Rostamani Group donated AED 10 million to the 100 Million Meals spearheaded by the UAE. The amount donated by the group has already had its food distribution begun in several countries to support low-income families, orphans, refugees, and widows in around 30 countries around the world.

Landmark Group X Et’aam

The Landmark Group has joined hands with Et’aam in Saudi Arabia to feed a person in need every time a customer shops online with their brands. The group has been looking into CSR across Oman, Bahrain, UAE, & India. The partnership of the Landmark Group with Et’aam is a way forward in supporting the Saudi Vision 2030 objective in ensuring inclusive access to clean food and drinking water.

Chalhoub Impact Programme

Chalhoub Group has launched the Chalhoub Impact programme. As part of the programme, approximately 200 food packages prepared by their staff volunteers have been distributed to disadvantaged people in the office. The employees within the group also took part in the ‘mychalhoub’ Eid initiative that has been made for orphans. This initiative includes donation boxes being put in key locations across Jeddah, Riyadh and Al Khobar.

1.1 Million Meals by Malabar Gold & Diamonds

Malabar Gold & Diamonds, one among the largest jewellery retailer globally, has decided to pledge over 1.1 Million Meals. The distribution of food kits caters to the deserving laborers and families who are still recovering from the economic and social consequences brought about by Covid-19. This initiative is expected to benefit across all countries in which the retailer operates. The group, operates across the GCC, India, Malaysia, Singapore & USA.