Spinneys has opened its Khalidiya store in Abu Dhabi, following refurbishment.
Regional manager at Spinneys Dubai, Shah Hussein, who worked at Khalidiya before it became part of the Albwardy Group in 2004, said: “I started working at the store in 1998 and even back then it was known for specialised products that weren’t available elsewhere in Abu Dhabi.
“Personally, I enjoyed working at the store because of the family-like atmosphere. Our customers used to treat our staff like friends. During my time as store manager, Mohammed, our long-time customer service associate who still works at Khalidiya, would bring all new customers to meet me so we could develop a relationship with all our patrons.”
Spinneys Khalidiya will be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Khalidiya store manager from 2007 to 2009, Omer Ahmed Khan, said: “There’s a police station across the road from the store, so many police officers used to shop at our store every day. Each year the station would host a football event in which we would participate. It was always a lot of fun.”
The Spinneys brand, and Khalidiya in particular, has nourished a strong association with the local Emirati community, according to former regional manager in Abu Dhabi, Amin Subba.
Founded in 1961, Spinneys operates 61 stores across the UAE.
In April, Spinneys became the first retailer to join the UAE’s Food for Life initiative, which aims to shift the country towards a healthier diet by improving the sustainability of its food systems.
