Egypt has opened 20 new "Carry On" retail outlets across four governorates on September 15, as part of a national plan to keep basic goods available at stable, affordable prices. The Supply and Internal Trade Ministry stated that this expansion is part of a broader push to unify Egypt's fragmented network of subsidized grocers, consumer complexes, and youth-run "My Gamaiti" outlets under a single brand.
The "Carry On" chain was launched under a directive from President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi earlier this year, with the aim of eventually covering tens of thousands of outlets nationwide. Ministry spokesman Ahmed Kamal stated that the government is prioritizing the network's nationwide expansion to modernize domestic trade and improve the efficiency of state-run retail outlets.
The new branches are part of a wider plan to expand the ministry's network of modern retail outlets and build the most advanced sales channels with the widest possible reach across the country. Kamal said that the outlets are meant to increase the availability of goods, offer products of appropriate quality at stable prices, and modernize the services delivered through the supply system.
The project introduces a new consumer-complex model combining modern management, digital transformation, and automation with a broader mix of products, offering free-market goods alongside subsidized and essential commodities. This expansion will help modernize outlets run by the Holding Company for Food Industries (HCFI) and make fuller use of their existing capacity, strengthening competition and increasing the supply of goods.
The Ministry of Supply and Internal Trade first launched "Carry On" in October 2025, aiming to restructure roughly 40,000 government-linked retail outlets, consumer complexes, ration-card distribution shops, and "My Gamaiti" outlets into one network with unified branding, pricing, and service standards. The first three unified-brand branches opened in Cairo's Girls' College, Amiriya, and Sayeda Zeinab districts.
Cairo Governor Ibrahim Saber, Supply Minister Sherif Farouk, Agriculture Minister Alaa Farouk, and Future of Egypt Authority (FOE) head Bahaa El-Din El-Ghannam inaugurated the latest 20 branches, one in person and 19 via video link. The expansion has been supported by partnerships with various companies, including TMT, E-Finance, Verto Wave, and Telecom Egypt, which agreed to provide network connectivity as the project expands.
The push to expand "Carry On" is part of a broader effort to regulate markets and widen the channels through which products reach consumers, reinforcing the domestic trade system's ability to meet their needs. The government aims to convert existing subsidized grocers and "Gamaeiti" outlets into a unified "Carry On" franchise, with youth-run branches eligible for state financing.
Key points
- The Egyptian government has opened 20 new "Carry On" retail outlets across four governorates as part of a plan to keep basic goods available at stable prices.
- The "Carry On" chain aims to eventually cover tens of thousands of outlets nationwide, modernizing domestic trade and improving the efficiency of state-run retail outlets.
- The project introduces a new consumer-complex model combining modern management, digital transformation, and automation with a broader mix of products.
