Carrefour, operated by Majid Al Futtaim in the UAE, recently opened its doors at COP28's Blue Zone in Expo City, unveiling its latest initiative. The multinational retail and wholesaling corporation has created a store offering an eco-conscious shopping experience with the launch of its 'Choose Better' program. Sheila Chaiban, Chief Marketing Officer at Majid Al Futtaim Retail, tells Communicate more.
Image Above: Sheila Chaiban, Chief Marketing Officer at Majid Al Futtaim Retail
1. The Choose Better program focuses on three pillars: 'For You', 'For the Planet', and 'For Communities'. How does each pillar play a role in fostering positive change and promoting healthier lifestyles, both for customers and the environment?
Each pillar serves a purpose. Choose Better ‘For You’ encourages customers to choose healthier products and educates them about the nutritional value of healthier food options. Choose Better ‘For the Planet’ enables customers to make purchases that are not only good for them, but also for the environment with easy-to-read labels that rate products based on their environmental impact. Choose Better ‘For Communities’ rewards customers for choosing products and services that support local communities and economies by educating customers about product sourcing through our blockchain traceability feature and encouraging customers to choose local produce through incentives such as discounts and rewards.
2. How does Carrefour plan to communicate the Choose Better initiative to customers and the wider community, and what steps will be taken to encourage active participation and engagement with the program?
Our communication efforts will be focused on promoting the benefits of eating healthier foods, rewarding customers who buy Choose Better products, community outreach and engagement, and meaningful collaborations with government entities, educational institutions, health establishments, and fitness clubs. Moreover, we have lined up a range of community-driven activations to ensure ongoing engagement with customers surrounding topics such as health and wellness, sustainability, and community support.
Key stakeholders will also play a fundamental role in Carrefour’s activations for Choose Better, including partnering ministries, influential health personalities, and seasoned industry experts.
3. Can you provide more details on the circular design and sustainable features of the Carrefour store at COP28, such as the use of repurposed materials and smart lighting? How do these elements contribute to the overall sustainability goals of the store? Critics might argue that the impact of a single store might be marginal in comparison to Carrefour's overall operations. How does the company plan to scale up these sustainable features across all of its stores?
Our store at COP28 set a benchmark for sustainable retail standards, having provided over 30,000 visitors with a unique shopping experience.
The store offered a range of sustainability features, including a Reverse Vending Machine (RVM) to recycle plastic bottles and cans, a Hydration Station to discourage plastic and encourage refilling reusable water bottles, and energy-efficient smart lighting throughout the store. The 3D-printed light fittings were made from reclaimed fishing nets, our wooden furniture was made from upcycled wood pallets, and we sourced outdoor furniture made of recycled plastic waste. A ‘Made in the UAE’ showcase was installed to spotlight locally sourced products, reaffirming our commitment to supporting local suppliers. Naturally, the store featured our ‘Choose Better’ range of products.
As a trusted retailer, we have long cemented our reputation of contributing to sustainability in the region. From anti-food waste partnerships to dedicating our research and development efforts to nutrition transparency, we are proud to hold an excellent track record of sustainable measures. We hope to inculcate this same eco-friendly model across our stores nationwide in the future, while also implementing proactive sustainable initiatives throughout the year.
4. It has been mentioned that Carrefour will be the only retailer in the region to share comprehensive sustainability ratings of its products through a partnership with HowGood. How will this transparency in sustainability ratings benefit customers, and what impact do you anticipate on consumer behavior?
A global wellness survey by NielsonIQ revealed about 72 percent of customers consider transparency to be extremely important when making purchasing decisions, with a keen emphasis on the ingredients used and the retailer’s supply chain practices. This demonstrates the evolving preferences of customers and mandates retailers to implement corresponding changes across their operations.
At Carrefour, we emphasize proactivity and transparency. We partnered with HowGood to assess ingredients and products and to measure their overall sustainability impact. The benefit for our customers lies in them being able to adopt more sustainable habits, at no added cost, by purchasing products with climate labels with ‘good’, ‘better’, or ‘best’ ratings. The first label ranks the product based on greenhouse gas emissions, the second label rates products based on their socio-environmental impact and the third label focuses on clean-label ingredients and minimal processing.
5. Critics might argue that Carrefour could potentially choose products that score well but are still part of an overall unsustainable supply chain. How does Carrefour plan to address concerns about the sustainability of its products beyond individual ratings?
Our wide selection of products comes from suppliers that have their own individual sustainability commitments. Some suppliers may be further along in achieving their goals than others. For this reason, our suppliers signed a pledge at the Supplier Sustainability Forum hosted by Majid Al Futtaim Retail in 2023, committing to achieving the Collaborative Impact Goals for a more sustainable future in the retail sector. Moreover, we promote UAE products, which bolsters sustainability by supporting and nurturing local communities that contribute to the national economy.
With regard to our product ratings, ensuring utmost transparency is the very reason we have partnered with a renowned organization like HowGood. Holding the world’s largest product sustainability database, HowGood supports our sustainability arm of the business, revealing important metrics that guide our customers. By disclosing our ratings, Carrefour continues to infuse sustainability in our large-scale product range.
6. The Choose Better program aims to make healthier and more sustainable choices accessible, affordable, and appealing. How does Carrefour plan to achieve this, considering the challenges often associated with the affordability of healthier food options?
With Choose Better, we’re rewarding customers with even more discounts and SHARE points for customers who choose from our ‘Better for You’ product category. But beyond that, we are also increasing the number of local suppliers within our operational chain in order to help customers access affordable, healthier food that does not compromise on freshness. Another way we’re making healthier and more sustainable choices more affordable is through our Private Label. We ensure our customers reap maximum value for the money they spend on our competitive range of products, not compromising on taste or quality.
7. What is the Consumer Goods Forum and the goals set forth by the Forum’s Collaboration for Healthier Lives coalition?
The Consumer Goods Forum is an organization motivated by a mission to bring together consumer goods manufacturers and retailers to create a positive difference. Carrefour is privileged to be a part of the Collaboration for Healthier Lives and the Food Waste coalition, both of which are among the organization’s eight Coalitions of Action.
A key goal of the Collaboration for Healthier Lives coalition is to improve the accessibility, affordability, and appeal of healthier food options. To meet this goal, Carrefour pledged to increase the percentage of healthier food products in our customers’ baskets, elevate the sales of healthier and sustainable products, and proactively implement initiatives that encourage customers to adopt more sustainable living patterns. On the other hand, for the Food Waste Coalition, we’ve initiated a War on Waste campaign that aims to reduce food waste by 23 percent in two years, saving up to 20,000 tons of food.
Through these streamlined efforts, Carrefour, with Choose Better, is fostering a more health-conscious and environmentally responsible shopping experience. Having joined forces with the Consumer Goods Forum, we’re confident in our commitment to future-proofing modern retail and setting a benchmark for sustainable end-to-end operations.
