2020: Spinneys successes, challenges and outlook

The Gray Mackenzie Retail Lebanon group took over the local supermarket chain, Spinneys, three years ago next spring, acquiring the brand from Abraaj Capital in the United Arab Emirates. Today, the group portfolio includes 16 Spinneys super and hypermarkets, 5 discount stores under the Happy brand, and 11 convenience marts under the Grab’n’Go label. Sitting down with Executive for an extensive conversation, Gray Mackenzie Executive Chairman Hassan Ezzedine describes how the group has been handling the economic crisis of 2020 and is positioning itself for the future.  Due to Covid-19, according to Ezzedine, the supermarket has become a one-stop destination for shoppers, who expect to find everything they could possibly want in one place. In response, the Mackenzie retail group is now working on developing as many consumer categories as possible. This includes the introduction of food courts and the development of online delivery to plans for cross-border expansion as