Change of guard at Spinneys

UAE-based supermarket chain Spinneys welcomed Matt Frost as its new CEO in the presence of outgoing CEO Jannie Holtzhausen; chief marketing officer, Glen Thompson; property manager, Andre Viljoen; communications manager, Colette Shannon; and other team members.

Frost joins Spinneys in January 2018. His previous position was with Waitrose UK, as director of B2B and commercial operations and where he worked since 2010.

The occasion was also used to announce the grocery chain’s new developments and expansion plans for 2018, including ground-breaking of its new headquarters in Dubai, reinforcing its commitment to growing its presence in the region.

Representing a substantial investment for the business, the new Spinneys headquarters will be located in Meydan with a number of key retail brands managed from the site, helping Spinneys build its brand and increase its reach across the region and beyond. The site will also feature a new flagship store and an ultra-modern, on-site cookery school to aid culinary training and development. With construction already underway, the building is expected to be operational by April 2019.

The community-led supermarket has also announced details of a vigorous expansion strategy that will see the local retailer increase its footprint across the region from 61 to 79 stores, with the opening of a further 18 outlets over the next three years and the creation of 2,000 new jobs. As part of the aggressive growth plan, Spinneys forecasts a +40% growth by 2020, through a focus on expansion, continued innovation and digital product development. New initiatives will also include a customer loyalty scheme, Spinneys & ME, which is due to be rolled in Q1 of 2018.

As part of its 2018 plans, Spinneys also revealed that it is undertaking a feasibility study to ascertain the possibility of bringing an online grocery service to the market, with the aim of launching an offering in the next few years. Announced by Frost, the online grocery service is expected to revolutionise how people shop in the city, maximising its fresh food credentials to make it easier than ever to access fresh quality food at the touch of a button.

“The investment in our new headquarters sends a very clear message that the future of retail is bright in the UAE and Spinneys will be at the forefront of this development. As a home-grown brand with over 50 years in the region, we are proud of the success we have achieved to date, but the best is yet to come. Our appetite for growth is unparalleled and as we approach 2020, this will only increase as we look to expand our footprint across the region and beyond with new stores and a focus on digital innovation,” says Frost.