Health and beauty retailer Watsons boosts presence across GCC with opening of new flagship store in Bahrain

AS Watson Group and Al-Futtaim Group have announced the opening of Watsons' new flagship store at City Centre Bahrain Mall, marking the latter’s entry into a new market alongside the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and Qatar. This is also the third store opening in three months in Bahrain, strengthening its presence across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).

The 200-square-metre location showcases over 200 local and international brands across various zones.

A press release notes that: “Bahrain is one of the six countries of the GCC, presenting a dynamic and potential market with a surging demand for health and beauty products, driven by a predominantly young population – over two-thirds of Bahrainis are under the age of 35 – who are pursuing high quality products. Increased awareness of beauty trends, influenced by social media and lifestyle shifts, has led customers to greater spending on personal grooming.”

Dr. Malina Ngai, Group CEO at AS Watson Group, says: “The expansion of Watsons health and beauty retail experience into Bahrain is an important milestone in our commitment in the GCC region. Just as important, this new flagship store further strengthens our partnership with Al-Futtaim Group to serve customers in this vibrant region where high quality beauty and health products are increasingly in demand.”

Simon Naga, Vice President at Al-Futtaim Group, comments: “The opening is a testament to our commitment to enhancing customer experiences across the region. As we continue to expand our footprint in the GCC market, we focus on delivering innovative retail solutions that meet the evolving needs of consumers.”

2024 RTIH INNOVATION AWARDS

Bricks and mortar retail was a key focus area at the sixth edition of the RTIH Innovation Awards.

The awards, sponsored by Vista Technology Support, Scala, CADS, 3D Cloud, Brightpearl by Sage’s Lightning 50, Business France, and Retail Technology Show 2025, celebrate global tech innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.

Our 2024 hall of fame entrants were revealed during an event which took place at RIBA’s 66 Portland Place HQ in Central London on 21st November, and consisted of a drinks reception, three course meal, and awards ceremony presided over by comedian Lucy Porter.

In his welcome speech, Scott Thompson, Founder and Editor, RTIH, said: “The event is now into its sixth year and what a journey it has been. The awards started life as an online only affair during the Covid outbreak, before launching as a small scale in real life event and growing year on year to the point where we’re now selling out this fine, historic venue.”

He added: “Congratulations to all of our finalists. Many submissions did not make it through to the final stage, and getting to this point is no mean feat. Checkout-free stores, automated supply chains, immersive experiences, on-demand delivery, next generation loyalty offerings, inclusive retail, green technology. We’ve got all the cool stuff covered this evening.”

“But just importantly we’ve got lots of great examples of companies taking innovative tech and making it usable in everyday operations - resulting in more efficiency and profitability in all areas.”

Congratulations to our 2024 winners, and a big thank you to our sponsors, judging panel, the legend that is Lucy Porter, and all those who attended last month’s gathering.