Tunisia: Buying and Selling
Tunisian law does not allow wholesale or retail marketing by foreign businesses, as the local government restricts domestic market distribution to Tunisian nationals. Every joint venture with a foreign investor is considered an exception subject to a license dependent on the advantages of the project to the Tunisian economy. This process allowed the opening of several hyper/supermarkets, set up under joint ventures, with France's Carrefour and Casino groups (Géant and Monoprix). Legislation designed to protect smaller businesses from such competition limits the number of hypermarkets authorised in a specific area.
Following the COVID-19 outbreak, malls and hypermarkets were temporarily closed, thus the modern retail sector lost market share to boutique retail and mom-and-pop grocery stores.
Finally, while also still quite low, e-commerce has experienced steady growth in recent years, fostered by widening access to banking services and the internet.
- Ulysse Hyper Distribution remains the leader in modern grocery retailers in value terms via its three chains: Carrefour Market (supermarkets), Carrefour Express (superettes) and Carrefour (hypermarkets), for a total of 94 outlets
- Groupe Mabrouk, operating two brands of French origin: Monoprix in supermarkets (with 87 outlets) and Géant in hypermarkets (3 outlets in Tunis, Azur City and Bourgo Mall)
- Groupe Magasin Général with Mg Maxi, with around 4,000 employees and more than 90 outlets. Established in 1920, Magasin Général is the longest standing operator in the retail sector.
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Latest Update: November 2024