Dubai, UAE: Union Coop, a leading cooperative in the retail sector of Dubai, is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Mohamed Al Hashemi as its Chief Executive Officer. In this pivotal role, Mr. Al Hashemi will steer the cooperative's strategic vision, overseeing the expansion of its business scope and reinforcing its strategic presence within the local and national retail markets.Upon assuming his responsibilities, Mr. Al Hashemi prioritized communication with stakeholders, conducting remote meetings to reaffirm Union Coop's standing as a key player in the country's cooperative landscape. With a focus on development and growth, he is set to collaborate with various divisions, departments, and the experienced team to lead the cooperative into new avenues of success, marking a significant milestone in its business journey.During his inaugural address, Mr. Al Hashemi expressed his commitment to an open-door policy, welcoming feedback and suggestions to enhance retail operations and maintain Union Coop's position as a frontrunner among consumer cooperatives in the country. He outlined a comprehensive vision for the cooperative, emphasizing the implementation of initiatives and plans that involve continuous diversification, digital advancements, and alignment with local and global developments in the ever-evolving e-commerce landscape.Recognizing the importance of collaboration, Mr. Al Hashemi stressed the need for strengthened partnerships among entities and stakeholders associated with Union Coop. This collaborative approach aims to provide high-quality services to the cooperative's diverse consumer base, contributing to the overall satisfaction of stakeholders and consumers alike.In line with his strategic vision, Mr. Al Hashemi is keen on investing in the development of employee skills, fostering innovation, and embracing digital technologies. These initiatives are designed to give Union Coop a competitive advantage, attracting premier products and pioneering projects in the vibrant city of Dubai.With an impressive 19-year track record in the retail trade, Mr. Al Hashemi was recognized in 2021 for his outstanding achievements and role in the business sector, earning a coveted spot in the Young Global Leader Forum. His wealth of experience includes successful management of operational processes, contributing to an innovative work environment, and formulating development policies to enhance overall operations.Union Coop looks forward to a new era of growth under the leadership of Mr. Mohamed Al Hashemi, as it continues to uphold its commitment to delivering quality products and services to its valued consumers.

 In a testament to its commitment to providing high-quality and competitively priced fresh food, Union Coop has announced the supply of 30 million tons of local and imported vegetables and fruits since the start of 2023. The cooperative, with its established and approved terms and procedures, continues to uphold its mission of meeting the diverse needs of consumers.Engaging with 35 companies and 45 farms for the supply of vegetables and fruits, Union Coop underscores its dedication to sustainable practices. Notably, the cooperative emphasizes the multifaceted role of its organic farms, transcending commercial interests to serve as educational hubs. These farms, focal points for various segments of society, particularly school students, advocate for modern and healthy farming methods, as well as water conservation. Producing 18 to 20 varieties of leafy vegetables, they contribute to covering 30% of the cooperative's branch consumption.Union Coop places a premium on the authenticity and quality of its products. Fifty varieties of organic vegetables, sourced locally and internationally, hold official certification from the Standards and Specifications Authority. This unwavering commitment spans decades, with continuous support for Emirati farmers, facilitated by substantial incentives to promote sustainable agriculture and bolster the nation's food security.Ensuring a delightful shopping experience for consumers remains a top priority for Union Coop. Recent initiatives include the strategic rearrangement of vegetable and fruit sections in key branches, including Jumeirah, Al Twar, and Al Rashidiya. This restructuring aligns with sales volume and demand, optimizing available spaces in each branch.Union Coop's collaboration extends beyond suppliers to encompass local companies and specialized exhibitions. This proactive approach seeks new sources for global products, fostering diversification. The cooperative's ongoing partnership with Emirati farmers, engaged in longer production periods throughout the year, demonstrates a commitment to sustainable agriculture.Compliance with health standards and food regulations is non-negotiable for Union Coop. Regular visits to supplier companies and local farms, totaling 35 official visits this year, underscore the cooperative's diligence. These inspections ensure adherence to legislative and regulatory requirements in storage, packaging, and transportation, reinforcing Union Coop's dedication to quality assurance.

Retail Pioneer Union Coop, through its ‘Digital Mkt.& Advt. Section’ an integral part of the ‘Marketing Dept.’ was recently recognized at the MENA Digital Awards (MDA) 2022-23. The cooperative's digital campaign which was implemented by the ‘Digital Mkt.& Advt. Sec.’ in collaboration with ‘Fusion 5’, has been recognized with the ‘Silver’ award. This remarkable achievement emphasizes Union Coop's commitment to digital innovation and excellence in the competitive MENA market.The MENA Digital Awards (MDA) is a prominent accolade within the MENA region, which includes names like UAE Chambers and Emirates Businesswomen Council as strategic partners. All entries are judged by a jury of renowned digital experts from across the world, ensuring a best practice process that recognizes only the best work.Mr. Niels Groen, Chief Commercial Officer, Union Coop, expressed his gratitude and excitement, saying, “This achievement is a testament to our commitment to delivering excellence in the digital marketing space. Our dedicated team has worked tirelessly to create a seamless and user-friendly ‘Digital campaign’ that enhances the shopping experience for our customers. We would like to thank the MENA Digital Awards for this recognition and our loyal customers for their trust and support." It is worth mentioning that Union Coop's application installs campaign over achieved its objectives by driving (2.5X) installs than planned with (186K) installs from (75K) and achieved No.1 application ranking in Google Play store for Shopping category. The campaign has also achieved total number of place orders of (11K) and (6.3K) order confirmation, with (57%) conversation rate.

Dubai-based Consumer Cooperative ‘Union Coop’ has affirmed that the present market saturation with stores and e-commerce portals has enhanced competitiveness in the markets, especially in the retail outlets that now employ innovative methods to promote products and offer discounts that sometimes reach up to 50% to 70% to stimulate online purchases and motivate consumers to take advantage of the promotions. In its report, the Cooperative stated that the growth of e-commerce has led to an increase in the number of consumers using online platforms, as the percentage of online sales is steadily increasing on a monthly basis, as per the statistical data reported by each store. This is due to the time and effort saved for consumers, who can now see all the available offers from different outlets at once, whether at work or at home, and compare them before making a purchase. The majority of outlets have started offering online purchasing with either ‘on-site pickup’ or free home delivery, subject to certain conditions such as the purchase ratio and invoice amount, and this is exactly what the Cooperative has implemented and offered to all consumers.Union Coop emphasized that consumers have a high level of trust in e-commerce platforms due to the services provided that protect their rights, offer attractive alternatives, and provide reasonable pricing, especially for highly demanded electronic products, food, and non-food items.It should also be noted that retail outlets have increased their competitiveness through these platforms by reducing delivery time and fees, preserving the right to return goods if they do not meet specifications, providing shopping wallets, and earning loyalty points to reach a wider range of consumers and boost their sales.The Cooperative disclosed that it handles more than 1,100 online orders daily, offering a wide variety of products in its smart store. New products are added and updated daily, in line with the retail sector developments. It also mentioned that the ‘Dubai Chamber of Commerce’ predicts that e-commerce’s share of retail sales in the UAE will reach 12.6% of total retail sales by 2026, indicating promising growth opportunities in the e-commerce market and the rapid adoption of e-commerce in the UAE. This analysis indicates an increase in price transparency by providing price comparisons for products sold through online platforms.Furthermore, it continued to highlight that all indicators suggest significant interest in e-commerce within the retail sector, with continuous updates to sales platforms through their applications or smart websites to keep up with ongoing developments in this field and provide better services to enable continuous growth of this sector.

Dubai: Dubai-based retailer ‘Union Coop’ signed a memorandum of understanding with ‘Emirates Nature-WWF' in cooperation with World Wildlife Fund (WWF). The signing comes as a part of the cooperative’s social responsibility goals to support Government, Private and social welfare institutions and community welfare projects.  The MoU was signed at Union Coop headquarters – Al Warqa City Mall, Dubai, by Eng. Abdulla Mohammad Rafie Al Dallal, Managing Director, Union Coop and Ms. Laila Mostafa Abdullatif, Director General of Emirates Nature-WWF. The agreement was signed in the presence of Dr. Suhail Al Bastaki, Happiness & Marketing Director, Union Coop, Ms. Huda Salem Saif, Senior Communication Section Manager at Union Coop and staff from both sides.This agreement falls within the framework of Union Coop's programs to strengthen cooperation with associations that serve the essential community groups, participate in initiatives directed at them, and expand their role in community development.Union Coop’s MD - Eng. Al Dallal for his part highlighted that this agreement’s primary goal is to establish a concept of corporate social responsibility, a vital part of Union Coop’s community orientation. This will in turn strengthen the bonds of cooperation with the primary sectors and relevant agencies by launching initiatives that are directed towards the members of the society, thereby expanding the cooperative’s role in the community’s development. Moreover, the cooperative placed within its annual strategies to support government and private community establishments for the general well-being of society.As per this agreement, Union Coop will support the directions of Emirates Nature-WWF and offer moral support, thereby solidifying its distinguished position in society.In her turn, Ms. Laila Mostafa Abdullatif, Director General of Emirates Nature-WWF, praised the societal role played by the Union Coop in various fields, primarily for the adoption of community initiatives to support social institutions. She further expressed her appreciation for the Cooperative’s moral support to the institution and its help in promoting its services through several channels as agreed by the two parties, explaining that the cooperative’s support for the association will have many positive effects in introducing and promoting the association’s initiatives.Post-signing, Union Coop organized a guided tour for the Emirates Nature-WWF delegation of the Union Coop hypermarket branch at Al Warqa City Mall. They were informed about the most important services that Union Coop provides to consumers, which follow the best practices applied in the field of food retailing, delivery, customer happiness services, expansion strategies and digital solutions for retail, in addition to updating them of information about the culture of retail trade in the Union Coop. Furthermore, the delegation was educated about hydroponics and the ways the Union Farm located in the Al Warqa City Mall ‘Union Coop’ branch is maintained. The experts from Union Coop answered all queries from the delegation and offered them information about the culture of retail trade in the Union Coop, and the mechanism for allocating sites and sections dedicated to international products and promoting them in their periodical advertising magazines.  

Dubai: Dubai-based popular consumer cooperative, ‘Union Coop’ announced the launch of its much-awaited discount campaign for the month of ‘May’ covering selected food and non-food products, all of whose prices have been reduced and fixed to counter inflation.  The promotion includes discounts of up to 60%, as part of its regular promotion calendar directed towards delighting consumers, meeting their expectations by providing high-quality products at competitive prices and reducing their burden.Union Coop indicated that it launches promotional campaigns at regular intervals (Weekly & Monthly) to delight consumers, noting that the cooperative allocated multiple diverse campaigns in May, with varying discounts on basic consumer products and commodities, available in all cooperative branches spread across Dubai.The retailer added that these campaigns were launched since the beginning of this month, including the ‘Fixed Price’ campaign to stop inflation, wherein the consumers can benefit by either visiting any branch physically or through the smart app depending on their preferred mode of shopping.Among the products included in the offers are vegetables, fruits, juices, water, dairy, meat, sweets, spices, rice, oil, etc., as part of a carefully crafted promotion plan in the interest of the consumer, and within the cooperative’s proactive initiatives in providing various options to consumers for an exceptional shopping experience.