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By Posted on Posted in Brands, Lebanon, Retail 1 Comment

IPT, a Lebanese chain of fuel stations is being in non-stop action for the last few years on almost all of their locations. IPT fully owns, manage and supervise a network of over 30 gas stations, they also signed exclusive petroleum supply agreements with more than 130 gas stations across Lebanon.

IPT is taking gas station experience to another level, after introducing Mountain Mudd Espresso, the leading drive-thru specialty coffee franchises in the United States, they partnered with another fast food sector giant, McDonald’s, with dine-in and drive-thru options at many locations.

Yet another step made by IPT was into the retail world when they partnered with Metro Superstore, a Lebanese supermarket with 2 outlets (Maameltein and Chiah) and started opening Metro Express convenience store at many IPT locations (Amchit, Halat, Dekwaneh, Zouk).

Zouk Mikael store opened almost a month ago, it is a clean and neat store offering a quite large selection of basic products and a fresh section with sandwiches, salads and fresh juices. I would like to revisit after some time to check if the level of quality is maintained.

By Posted on Posted in Lebanon, Promotions, Retail, Supermarkets 1 Comment

I’ve been traveling from the Middle East to the Gulf and North Africa and all over Europe for my daytime job which includes market visits and stores check of almost every known and unknown chain of supermarkets, hypermarkets and hard-discounters and all of these stores agree on a specific concept of in-store promotions and their neat presentation to attract traffic and initiate consumers take-offs.

During all these trips, I’ve never seen a promotion presented the way a Lebanese supermarket did in the below picture, maybe we are witnessing a new in-store marketing strategy!

By Posted on Posted in Lebanon 2 Comments

I am writing you this blog post and I am so damn mad at youu because since I was born you are letting me down and every time I stupidly give you back a chance to fix it but unfortunately you don’t.

I don’t care if I can go ski and swim the same day, this is not what I really want.

I want a country where I can have electricity 24 hours a day and spend your hot summer nights quietly and if you cannot fix the electricity 21 years after finishing your civil war, then I have nothing to tell you.

I want a country where I am paying the most expensive mobile rate in the world, to have in return a decent service, a good signal, mobile internet and on top of all, a customer service that I can reach anytime I have a question (trying to call MTC since 9 this morning, now it is 11:30 and still not able to catch them).

I want a country where I can watch an online video without spending a whole day for it or download a file before going to bed then waking up to see that the progress is at 1%.

I want a country where you build a bridge and it makes the life of thousands miserable, to do something about it, in order for me and lots of others get to their work without the need of having Lorazepam 3 times daily.

I want a country where I can access a clean public beach and spend the day with my kids.

I want a country where people drive cars with transparent glasses and respect the law, instead of having black tinted glasses and not respecting the law.

I want a country where you, Lebanon, will go and dig for that oil or gas in the sea without giving me headaches on the news and use it for the good interest of yourself.

I want a country where I can drive without hurting my eyes with that visual pollution of billboards on your streets and highways.

I want a country where I can drive without your roads taking a big chunk of my salary because I have to visit the “mekaniss-yen” every month.

I want a country where “if” I ever watch the news, feel the people who are running this country really love you.

Best regards,
an angry bird, OOPS, an angry citizen.

By Posted on Posted in Jounieh, Lebanon No Comments

Few minutes ago, i was reading a blog post by Ibrahim Lahoud called I’m a son of a beach. Let me enjoy it. Unfortunately 2 weeks ago, I went almost through the same for few hours in Jounieh and i would like to add 2 other funny things that took place on that day.

1st is this lifeguard, going in circles around the pool and suddenly stops in front of me, his face to the pool and start waving his feet into the pool, one time the right foot, then the left foot. After watching him for few seconds, this is the conversation that took place:

Me: excuse me, i need to ask you a question
Lifeguard: sure
Me: but please promise me not taking it personal
Lifeguard: sure
Me: is it normal for a lifeguard walking around all day long, to stand by the pool and wave his feet into the pool where people are swimming?
Lifeguard (laughing): but people are going into the swimming pool with their feet
Me: yes people are going into the swimming pool with their feet, but “WITHOUT THEIR FLIPFLOP”
Lifeguard: ohhh you are right, i never thought of this
Me: maybe you should start!

The 2nd thing happened exactly at 18:00, when the boss waived to some lifeguards and this was the sign that the day is over and people have to leave and suddenly you could hear a roaring voice, that was 5 inch hose backed up by 300 horsepower sending water in all directions, in Lebanese simply called “CHATEF”.

So i left.

So back to the open letter.
On the way back to my car, i thought of writing a letter to the municipality of Jounieh asking them:

1- If they are checking on the hygiene of the pools, where people and mainly kids spend most the day or who is doing this check and how often?

2- To allow all native citizens of Jounieh (Ghadir, Sarba, Sahel Alma & Haret Sakher) to have free access to the beaches and private resorts within their jurisdiction. At least on an initial stage until all beaches are accessed anytime and freely by any living Lebanese.

So i decided to post it here on my blog, in case any member of the Municipality Googles or monitor the words “Jounieh” and “Municipality of Jounieh” or simply this goes viral! :-)

By Posted on Posted in France, Lebanon No Comments

We, the Lebanese, have a special feeling for France. We always considered her, “our caring mother” And there is not one living Lebanese who won’t consider visiting Paris at least once in his lifetime. More than 50% of Lebanese speak French fluently. Lots of Lebanese own companies, businesses, flats and houses all over France. The French embassy in Beirut issues in non-stop mode visas to Lebanese and we have 4 daily flights between Beirut and Paris and most of these flights are fully booked.

Having cited the above randoms facts out of my mind, i was surprised seeing the huge, i mean very huge investments France is making in the Middle East and North Africa, EXCEPT in Lebanon.

I was reading an article in L’expansion about the threats of revolutions in the MENA region and the presence of France, 3000 companies with investments of $45 Billion, but Lebanon was not mentioned in the article, or because it is the most stable country in the region for the time being *sarcastically*, either the investments of France are peanuts when compared to the rest of the countries.

I don’t want Lebanon to appear in the article because of the instability of the region, but just to be informed about the investments French multinationals are having in Lebanon. I can only recall 2 companies present in Lebanon related to the subject, they are Total and Air Liquide.

If you know any French companies operating in Lebanon, please comment and list them, also feel free to comment about any special facts that ties Lebanon to France.