Turkish Retailer BIM Explores Local Partnerships in Morocco Amid Trade Changes

The group’s press release, reported by Le360, is clear: "Based on the decision taken by the Board of Directors on October 27, 2020, and in line with our localization approach in the markets where we operate, the Chief Financial Officer has been authorized to study and evaluate strategic options for our company’s subsidiaries operating in the food retail sector in Morocco and Egypt, including partnership alternatives with local or international investors."

The total turnover of the two subsidiaries corresponds to 6.3% of the company’s consolidated turnover, indicates the same source.

This announcement comes just a few weeks after the Moroccan government amended the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) that binds it to Turkey. This happens shortly after the Turkish distribution brand was summoned by the Minister of Commerce and Industry, Moulay Hafid Elalamy, to "sell Moroccan or leave", on the grounds that it was destroying the network of small businesses in Morocco, without having favored local production.

Since the brand’s establishment in Morocco, BIM stores have been accused of unfair competition by neighborhood merchants, with prices deemed excessively low. Each opening of a BIM store leads to the closure of 60 neighborhood stores.