Carrefour onboards female-led start-up The Zola Collective

Carrefour, which is owned and operated by Majid Al Futtaim in the UAE, has introduced The Zola Collective to its flagship store in Mall of the Emirates. The female-led, wellness and lifestyle brand was one of 14 start-ups and SMEs to win the Majid Al Futtaim Launchpad programme in 2022 which aims at accelerating the growth and productivity of smaller businesses that are from the region and for the region.

Made by African artisans The Zola Collective’s products are handmade using natural ingredients and clean beauty formulations. From healthy superfoods and loose-leaf teas to candles, natural oils and skincare Carrefour will shelf a wide range of sustainable products for customers.

“The success of SMEs and start-ups is essential in our retail value chain as we continue to support the local economy. By helping other businesses grow, we can create a positive impact that ripples beyond our own customer base and talent pool. Moreover, identifying new brand partners with innovative and compelling offerings provides our customers with unique products that we know they will love and appreciate. For this reason, we are thrilled to be adding The Zola Collective – one of the first winners of Majid Al Futtaim Launchpad – to our shelves, facilitating its international growth strategy whilst helping our customers access their sustainable wellness range,” said Bernardo Perloiro, Chief Operating Officer – GCC at Majid Al Futtaim Retail.

“We built The Zola Collective on a core set of values to create demand for ethically sourced African products. Every Zola purchase supports a stable source of income for farmers with the promise of a better future. Majid Al Futtaim have given us the opportunity to accelerate this impact through exposure in Carrefour stores. As interest grows, we will continue building The Zola Collective circle of benefit and are excited to bring more people on this journey,” added Anusha Mahtani and Misha Patel, Co-Founders at The Zola Collective.

The launch of The Zola Collective at Carrefour is a move in line with the UAE Government’s focus on supporting small-medium businesses which are considered vital for economic diversification and growth, whilst building national human resources.