In line with Abu Dhabi’s Development Vision for 2030, the Government of Abu Dhabi, UAE launched Baqala Project in 2013 in order to achieve the goals of environmental sustainability and health and safety in the retail sector. Under this project, all grocery stores in Abu Dhabi shall operate with the common brand name of Baqala and their unique names shall be written with it in a smaller print, to distinguish one store from another. Thus, Baqala sign would be same for all such stores.
Baqala meaning Grocery in Arabic, is a brand name which aims to have a uniform look for all the grocery stores in Abu Dhabi. The improvement plan for this new system includes cash registers, price tags, improved security systems, cooler boxes, overhead storage cabinets, better refridgeration, decor and also providing added facilities such as microwaves and coffee counters to name a few. Baqala staff was supposed to wear a uniform showing Baqala sign.
Earlier, Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority gave the deadline of January 1st 2013 to register the upgraded Baqala but later the date was extended to May 6th 2013 – literally a big relief for the majority of existing grocery stores. This era is a survival of the fittest, hence the grocery stores that failed to upgrade and meet the specified level of standards, will go out of business.
The law to convert all grocery stores into Baqala was enforced due to the fact that most of the existing grocery stores operated below the specified standards and their hygiene practices were pathetic. Hence the new Baqala project improved the quality and standard of this retain chain. The refurbished groceries looked much elegant and clean and brought on par with the best of those in the other countries.
Erum Abbasi's e-Commerce blog 