Dubai, UAE– Choithrams has won both the Middle East & Africa regional award and the global World Series award in the Customer Centric Culture category at the Customer Centricity World Series 2026 for its Beyond Service programme.
Launched in December 2024, Beyond Service makes customer experience a shared responsibility across store teams, management and support functions. The programme combines employee involvement and customer feedback to drive practical improvements in everyday shopping.
A central element is the Brand Ambassador programme, introduced in April 2025. Ambassadors engage directly with shoppers, gather feedback and work with store managers to address customer concerns. Between July 2025 and September 2026, they conducted 18,918 customer surveys across 55 stores, with responses captured in a live dashboard to help teams identify priorities and track improvements. The programme recorded an overall Net Promoter Score (NPS) of 71 during this period, while a like-for-like comparison across 15 stores showed an increase of 23 points, from 50 in July 2025 to 73 by 30 September 2026.
Mark Mortimer-Davies, CEO of Choithrams, said: “Customers experience Choithrams through everything from the products available on our shelves to how quickly we resolve a concern. Beyond Service helps every colleague understand their role in that experience and gives them a voice in improving it. These awards recognise the work our teams are doing to listen to shoppers and turn their feedback into practical action. Our focus is on making that approach part of how we work, every day.”
Customer feedback has prompted changes to product availability, including increased stocks of popular products such as jasmine rice and fresh milk brands that shoppers reported were frequently unavailable in the evenings.
Store teams have also repaired trolleys, corrected promotional price labels, and deep-cleaned fresh fruit and vegetable sections in response to customer concerns. At fresh produce weighing counters, Brand Ambassadors worked with store teams to adjust staff rosters and break timings to address delays.
The programme has also informed changes to online order preparation. After colleagues struggled to pick products, a Brand Ambassador introduced practical training for new staff and an additional check to support order accuracy.
Founded in 1974, Choithrams is a UAE-based retail and distribution company with over 50 years of operations in the GCC. Delivering value, quality, and safety across its network, they operate in full compliance with regulatory standards and IMS policies.
Choithrams is trusted by millions, putting customers at the centre of what they do. Sustainability and social responsibility are embedded in its operating model through a seven-pillar Sustainable Living Plan. Choithrams is committed to supporting local and international humanitarian initiatives through partnerships with the United Nations World Food Programme and Médecins Sans Frontières, and collaborations with Mohammed bin Rashid Global Initiatives entities, including Dubai Cares, the UAE Food Bank, and Al Jalila Foundation, to deliver long-term community impact.
SOURCE: MEDIA RELEASE / SUPPLIED CONTENT WITH IMAGE
