 08 -14 November 2000 |
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Price Club supermarket chain to open eight stores in Libya
The supermarket chain "Price Club" is to open eight new stores in Libya. The news follows discussions held recently between the directors of the Supermarket Chain Price Club, and officials from the Libyan government. Libyan sources told The Business Times that the deal was a direct result of intervention from Victor Zammit, who is Director of Price Club Supermarket. It is understood that Essadi Muammer Gaddafi, son of Libyan president Colonel Gaddafi, was involved in the talks. Essadi had earlier this year accepted to become Birkirkara FC's honorary president and was also willing to play for Birkirkara in Europe, providing his club El-Ahli FC and his fans approved. Mr Zammit is Birkirkara FC Chairman and has good contacts in Libya. He was recently in Libya for further collaboration and it seems that the good relations between B’Kara and Gaddafi are already reaping dividends. In football it is very likely that the national team will also visit the islands in the near future. Gaddafi, who divides his time between football and a host of other important appointments, including that of head of the Libyan Football Federation, vice-president of the Olympic Committee, and other business-related companie,s is also a friend of Mr Joe Gauci who owns 32 per cent of the Price Club Supermarkets. Victor Zammit, the Birkirkara chairman, once stated that his club's relations with El-Ahli date back to 1996, when the Libyan club transferred goalkeeper Musbah Shangeb to the Stripes. Meanwhile, the Price Club Supermarket tried, but failed in a bid to buy Dolphin Supermarket Ltd. Negotiations failed to materialise when all looked set for the two Dolphin Supermarkets at Balzan and Paceville to be included as part of the Price Club chain of Supermarkets in Malta and Gozo. When The Business Times contacted Victor Zammit about the Libyan deal he said he could neither deny nor confirm that a business deal was struck. Mr Zammit also rebutted rumours that the Price Club Supermarket Chain in Malta is in difficulty and that it had fired or is planning to make a number of people redundant in the near future. He said that on the contrary, the chain was doing well and that the company was considering the employment of new staff in the near future. Meanwhile, the Price Club Supermarket chain will continue with the Lm3.5 million investments earmarked for Save-On supermarket at Marsa. Work on the project was scheduled to start by the end of the year but permits from the Planning Authority are not expected to materialise so soon. The new store is set to be the company’s largest retail outlet yet, on an even bigger scale than the Swatar premises, which is believed to be the biggest and busiest supermarket on the island. The new supermarket will be spread over 6,000 square metres of space and will contain a 400-vehicle car park. Despite the decision not to buy the Dolphin Supermarket, the Price Club chain still intends to establish more new stores in line with its objective of "revolutionising the shopping experience". | |||||||
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The Business Times, Network House, Vjal ir-Rihan San Gwann SGN 07
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