Industry Retail Number of locations over 350 (9 May 2014) Number of employees 1,200 Type of business Privately Held | Founder Mohammed Rifai, Founded 1948 Headquarters Beirut | |
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Area served Lebanon, Kuwait, Dubai, Saudi Arabia, Canada, Panama, Cyprus, Jordan, Oman, Armenia, Poland Key people Mohamed Rifai
(CEO)
Moussa Rifai, Jr.
(Group General Manager) Products Nuts, kernels, coffee, confectionery, chocolates, gifting Profiles | ||
Alrifai is a Lebanese multinational nut retailing company headquartered in Beirut, Lebanon, and a wholly owned subsidiary of Alrifai International Holding Ltd. It is the largest nut retailing chain in the Middle East and the company with the biggest market share in Lebanon.
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Alrifai was founded in Beirut in 1948 by Moussa Rifai, Sr. as a home-based operation supplying roasted nuts and coffee to the local neighbourhood. It has since grown to over 350 stores across 15 countries. The business has as well wholesales business under other brands.
History
Moussa Rifai, Sr. founded a home based nut booth in Beirut, Lebanon, in 1948, supplying local households. Alrifai branched out to retailing nuts and coffee in 1960's when its first store opened in Beirut, Lebanon.
In 1970, Mohamed Rifai the son of Moussa Rifai, Sr. joined the business and started the expansion. In 2009, Alrifai celebrated the opening of its 300 th store - in Saudi Arabia. In December 2013, Alrifai sold its biggest wholesales operation in Sweden, for 100 million SEK, to fully concentrate on the retail business expansion. By the end of 2014, the company had opened its 60th store in Lebanon, reaching a 46.5% market share.
Locations
Alrifai operates 62 outlets in Lebanon as of August 2014. Internationally, it operates more than 250 stores throughout the world in 15 countries.
As well as their usual high street location, Alrifai outlets can be found in airports and within several supermarket chains such as Spinneys, Carrefour, Monoprix and others. Alrifai as well has independent stores in malls across the middle east. Alrifai was discussed in the academia under different cases that were taught at the AUB in Beirut.
Nuts production
Alrifai has its own nuts and coffee factories. The variety of nuts mixes served in retail stores is their own invention and trademark. It plans to expand capacity in 2014.