The announcement that Carrefour has shut stores in Kuwait, Bahrain and other countries made headlines across the region. But behind the immediate news lies a bigger story that international retail giants are struggling to keep Middle East consumers interested.
Consumers are increasingly turning their backs on big-name internationals and favouring local brands, home-grown experiences and practices that resonate with their regional identity. This is not necessarily a rejection of global brands but instead it is to meet customers' needs and values.
In this episode of Business Extra, host Salim Essaid digs into the shift, which is seeing global names starting to fade from store shelves, and asks how far it goes.
We hear insights from Aarti Nagraj, deputy business editor at The National, and John E Katsos, professor of management, strategy and entrepreneurship at the American University of Sharjah.

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