In Saudi Arabia, can Cenomi’s new e-marketplace break Amazon and noon’s hold with shoppers?

In Saudi Arabia, can Cenomi’s new e-marketplace break Amazon and noon’s hold with shoppers?

Can the Gulf’s ecommerce space accommodate more than two behemoths, after Amazon and noon? The answer to that - at least in the Saudi online retail space - will be known soon enough as cenomi.com moves closer to a full-scale launch of its e-marketplace. Cenomi is the new branding for the Saudi retail giant formerly known as the Fawaz Alhokair Group and owner of Arabian Centres. It was last month that the group announced a full-scale transformation - and not just the name change. The e-marketplace will give Cenomi - who represents 92 brands including Apple - an additional channel to connect with shoppers in the Kingdom. “When a retailer with 1,700 plus stores decides to launch an online platform of this scale, it creates opportunities for Cenomi and the brands themselves,” said a retail consultant. “Saudi Arabia is the next big Middle East market where the ‘omni-channel’ experience for consumers is forecast to grow exponentially. “This is why the cenomi.com launch - expected in Q1-2023 - is perfectly timed.” Retail sources say that apart from the 90 plus brands Cenomi has direct access to, the new e-marketplace will attract others once the portal goes live in the coming weeks.