São Paulo – Atacadão Morocco was among the companies that took part in last week’s business matchmaking event organized by the Halal do Brasil project. The chain was created in Brazil and is a Brazilian brand, but its Moroccan operation is run by LabelVie, one of the largest retailers in the North African country. Hamza Badri, Atacadão Morocco’s Trading & Purchasing Director, was in Brazil from August 24 to 28.
“The first reason for the visit is that Brazil is a major industrial and business country. There are many products we can import into Morocco. You have very competitive commodity prices and very good quality,” he said. “The second reason is that we want to work directly with farmers or suppliers rather than traders [intermediaries in the buying and selling process]. It is easier and more productive to deal directly with Brazilian suppliers than with European traders handling Brazilian products,” he said.
Badri said the company aims to establish long-term partnerships with Brazilian suppliers.
“They can also produce specific formats and sizes suited to the Moroccan market, as products also need to be adapted to local demand,” he said.
The company is particularly looking for coffee suppliers, as well as rice, biscuits and confectionery.
“I was positively surprised by what I found. All the suppliers I met were well-prepared and had a lot of information about our country, our needs and our group,” Badri said.
Badri spoke to ANBA on Wednesday (26), the final day of the business matchmaking event. Six Arab companies and more than 30 Brazilian companies held meetings on food and beverages on August 24 and 26. On August 25, they attended the Brazil & Arab Countries Economic Forum, followed by visits to food plants in southern state of Paraná on August 27 and 28.
The program was organized by the Halal do Brasil Project, an initiative managed by the Arab-Brazilian Chamber of Commerce (ABCC) to promote Brazilian-made halal products abroad. Halal products are permitted for Muslim consumption.
LabelVie is part of a group that operates brands such as Burger King and Virgin Megastore in Morocco, as well as Carrefour in the local market. Atacadão was founded in Paraná in the 1960s and adopted its current name in the 1970s. It pioneered Brazil’s cash-and-carry model, with large wholesale-style stores selling to consumers and small businesses at generally lower prices. The company expanded and was acquired by Carrefour in 2007. Atacadão entered Morocco in 2012 with a store in Rabat. It now has more than 20 stores across several cities.
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Translated by Guilherme Miranda
