Last year, the company’s expansion accelerated with the $10 million deal to acquire supermarket chain Safestway, three Giant branches and G-Mart from the Giant Group.

“At West Zone, we believe our primary responsibility is to operate the best hypermarket possible, offering low prices on a broad range of products,” the company says on its website.

Geographically, Bhawnani has also spearheaded the company’s expansion outside Dubai, with five new stores set to open in Abu Dhabi and three each in Sharjah and Ajman.

Bhawnani arrived in the UAE in the late 80s and he quickly became immersed in the country’s fast-growing retail and hospitality sectors.

Always looking for expansion opportunities, he recently diversified into the hotel sector with the launch of the West Zone Plaza Hotel Apartments LLC in Bur Dubai and has added two food outlets – Mister Inasal and RND Restaurant – to the company’s portfolio.

West Zone Group’s real estate and construction arm began operations in 2006.

The company has some impressive statistics under its belt: Its 300,000 square metre state-of-the-art distribution centre processes over 5,000 global brands to its 125 plus outlets.

Last year, the company had a turnover of $542 million, compared to $446 million the year before.

“The only thing we strive for is a brilliant smile on our customers’ faces when they shop with us,” the 54 year-old Bhawnani says, adding that the three business criteria he always lives by are the three Ps: People (customers), Power (employees) and Price (affordability).

West Zone Group has benefitted from the fact that Dubai’s retail sector continues to expand and is forecast to keep growing at a compound annual growth rate of 5.2 percent over the next five years, according to a recent analysis by the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry.