Carrefour exits Bahrain, Kuwait

MIDDLE EAST – Carrefour is pulling out of Bahrain and Kuwait as its long-term partner Majid Al Futtaim (MAF) shifts the stores to its own HyperMax retail brand.

The change covers 13 outlets in total, all of which will now trade under the HyperMax banner, MAF confirmed.

MAF, based in Dubai, has operated Carrefour’s franchise across the Middle East, Africa and Asia for nearly three decades, but in recent months has been moving away from the French retailer.

With the latest exits, HyperMax now has a presence in Oman, Bahrain, Jordan and Kuwait, countries where Carrefour has been replaced since November 2024.

Carrefour still trades in Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Pakistan, but its future in those markets faces uncertainty.

This is partly because the brand remains a target of the pro-Palestinian Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, which in 2022 launched a campaign urging shoppers to avoid its stores.

The boycott followed Carrefour’s entry into Israel that same year through a franchise agreement with Israeli retailer Yenot Bitan, a deal that included operations in West Bank settlements.

Campaigners have since pressed Carrefour to end ties with Israeli companies and to stop selling products sourced from settlements in its global outlets.

The pressure has made the Carrefour name less appealing in markets where customers are sensitive to its ties with Israel, creating room for MAF to roll out HyperMax instead.

Retail analysts say the phased rebranding is part of a deliberate plan by MAF, even though official announcements of Carrefour’s withdrawal have been sudden.

At the same time, Carrefour is constrained, as a withdrawal from Israel could trigger political backlash, particularly from the Trump administration in Washington.

That leaves the retailer in a position where its established Middle East franchise, which began in 1995, is being reduced one market at a time.

Given the direction of recent changes, further exits appear likely, even if neither MAF nor Carrefour has set a timeline for when more stores could be rebranded.

For now, HyperMax is gaining ground in Gulf markets while Carrefour is left to manage its shrinking footprint in the region.

Sign up HERE to receive our email newsletters with the latest news and insights from Africa and around the world, and follow us on our WhatsApp channel for updates.