eXtra opens new store in Hafr al Batin, 20th in Saudi Arabia

11/02/2011

• New store serves 500,000-strong population of Hafr al Batin and surrounding areas
• New stores in Jubail, Al Kharj, Jeddah and Dammam to open soon

Khobar, Saudi Arabia; September 18, 2011: eXtra, Saudi Arabia’s largest and fastest-growing consumer electronics and home appliances retailer announced today that it has opened a new store in Hafr al Batin. The 20th eXtra store in Saudi Arabia, this outlet has been designed to meet the needs of the population of Hafr al Batin and surrounding areas, currently estimated to be in excess of 500,000.

The new store in Hafr al Batin has been modeled after the company’s successful branch in Tabuk. With more than 3,000 different items for sale, the Tabuk store managed to become the leading consumer electronics retailer just five months after opening, servicing more than 500,000 shoppers, equivalent to 40 per cent of the total population. eXtra has entered relatively minor cities in the Kingdom like Tabuk, Hafr al Batin and Najran with a specially-tailored store format in order to most effectively serve its customers in such locations.

The opening of eXtra’s 20th store in the Kingdom follows the launch earlier this year of the company’s seventh branch in Riyadh, the Saudi capital, and one in Najran. According to Mohammad Galal, CEO, United Electronics Company (eXtra), the company plans to open four more stores (Dammam 2, Jubail, Al Kharj and Jeddah 3) by the end of the year, bringing its total country-wide network to 24.

“We are extremely pleased to announce the milestone opening of our 20th store in Saudi Arabia. This store is our first in Hafr al Batin, serving customers throughout the Kingdom’s northeast area, including King Khalid Military City, Al Qaysumah, Sulaymaniyah, Sufaira, Al Ruqai and Al Faw ash Shamali. The opening of this new store demonstrates our unmatched commitment to meeting the needs of our customers – wherever they are and whenever they need us,” said Galal. “This critical store opening follows the launch of our online shopping portal, www.extra.com, which provides any customer with an Internet connection instant access to thousands of the latest products on the market, combined with convenient home delivery.”

Currently serving Saudi Arabia’s population of more than 27 million through its online and physical stores, eXtra is one of the Kingdom’s top 20 fastest-growing companies, according to recent ranking by the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority (SAGIA). Offering over 12,000 different products – including an enormous range of leading international brands – eXtra has more stores and more products than any other consumer electronics retailer in Saudi Arabia.