Turkish retail giant BİM has accelerated its growth plans in Egypt, moving up its goal of reaching 1,000 stores from 2030 to the end of 2026. The company’s Egypt Legal Affairs Director, Ihab Khalil, told Egypt’s Amwalalghad newspaper that 550 new branches will be opened by the end of 2025, adding to the existing 450 outlets to reach the 1,000-store milestone.
Khalil said the expansion will be supported by $40 million in new funding through direct foreign investment. Half of this amount — $20 million — has already been transferred to the country via the Central Bank of Egypt, with the remainder to be injected in early 2026.
Ten New Stores Opened in One Week
Last week alone, BİM opened 10 new stores in the Beni Suef governorate. Khalil emphasized that this was only the beginning, noting plans to establish two major logistics centers in Upper Egypt, particularly in Minya and Beni Suef.
The logistics hubs, each starting at 40,000 square meters, will be built with an additional $20 million investment. The Beni Suef facility will serve several southern governorates, including Asyut, Sohag, and Aswan, enabling BİM Egypt to expand its integrated supply chain alongside its retail network.
In addition, two large logistics warehouses will be built in 10th of Ramadan City near Cairo. BİM has already purchased a 46,000-square-meter plot there, with the investment expected to exceed 1 billion Egyptian pounds. These warehouses will serve Cairo and the Suez Canal region.
From 2030 to 2026
The revised plan marks a sharp acceleration from the timeline announced last year by BİM Turkey CEO Haluk Dortluoğlu, who in August 2024 said the company aimed to reach 1,000 Egyptian stores by 2030. At the time, he stressed that BİM would focus on retail investment in partnership with local producers rather than direct manufacturing.
BİM entered the Egyptian market in 2013 and, as of June 2024, operated 380 stores with 2,476 employees in the country. Under the new targets, the retailer expects to employ around 7,000 people in Egypt by the end of 2026.
Source: Patronlar Dünyası/ Prepared by: İlayda Gök