Data story
Is there always a BIM next to an Okazion?
The chain's real name is Kazyon; Cairo says “Okazion” and means the same shop. We are mapping every branch we can verify, then measuring how close the discount chains actually sit to each other, area by area, from published sources only.
Every branch on this map is a published, sourced record. Draft and unreviewed imports are not shown.
Walk two neighborhood blocks in Nasr City or 6th of October and you can usually find at least two of the three: a Kazyon, a BIM, and a Khair Zaman, each selling a narrow range of packaged staples at a fixed low price.
Areas with both, within 300m
57%
Across 7 areas holding a branch of each chain.
Median nearest competitor
266m
Middle distance between the closest cross-brand pair in each area.
Branches mapped
656
Published branches with verified coordinates, in the current view.
Closest pair
84m
Between Kazyon #1896 (West Cairo) and Bim: the tightest cross-brand pair on this map.
All mapped chains in the area. It does not change with the pair.
Showing 656 of 743 branches
- BIM Egypt
- Kazyon
- Khair Zaman
- Nearest pair within 300m
Hover or select a pin to read the branch behind it: its area, its nearest competitor, and where the record came from.
| Area | Branches |
|---|---|
| 150 Kazyon · 3 BIM Egypt | 153 |
| 124 Kazyon · 1 BIM Egypt | 135 |
| 70 Kazyon · 3 BIM Egypt | 82 |
| 57 Kazyon · 0 BIM Egypt | 60 |
| 35 Kazyon · 1 BIM Egypt | 47 |
| 37 Kazyon · 0 BIM Egypt | 42 |
| 39 Kazyon · 0 BIM Egypt | 39 |
| 23 Kazyon · 1 BIM Egypt | 35 |
| 28 Kazyon · 2 BIM Egypt | 32 |
| 23 Kazyon · 1 BIM Egypt | 27 |
| 21 Kazyon · 0 BIM Egypt | 22 |
| 2 Kazyon · 0 BIM Egypt | 20 |
| 8 Kazyon · 0 BIM Egypt | 13 |
| 3 Kazyon · 0 BIM Egypt | 11 |
| 9 Kazyon · 0 BIM Egypt | 10 |
| 3 Kazyon · 0 BIM Egypt | 6 |
| 0 Kazyon · 0 BIM Egypt | 6 |
| 1 Kazyon · 0 BIM Egypt | 2 |
| 1 Kazyon · 0 BIM Egypt | 1 |
City tier
The discount chains and the delivery hub: dense, fast-opening, city-wide.
- Owner
- Egyptian arm of BİM Birleşik Mağazalar A.Ş. (Turkey), publicly listed on Borsa Istanbul; wholly company-owned stores, no franchising.
- Founded
- 2012
- Branches claimed
- 445
- Branches mapped
- 12
- Owner
- Founded by Mostafa Amin, Muhammad Habib and Abdallah Nofal (2017). Investors across rounds: Vostok New Ventures (VNV Global), Endure Capital, JAM Fund, Y Combinator Continuity Fund, Shorooq…
- Founded
- 2017
- Branches claimed
- 39
- Branches mapped
- 0
- Owner
- Operated by Tawfeer for Food Products S.A.E.; founded by Hassan Heikal (ex-EFG Hermes CEO); majority-backed since April 2023 by a Development Partners International (DPI)-led consortium incl…
- Founded
- 2014
- Branches claimed
- 1100
- Branches mapped
- 648
- Owner
- Mansour Manufacturing & Distribution Group (Mansour Group / MMD), operating under the Metro Markets umbrella.
- Founded
- 2006
- Branches claimed
- 200
- Branches mapped
- 15
- Owner
- Talabat (Delivery Hero)
- Branches mapped
- 0
Suburb tier
The big-basket supermarkets that follow the compounds outward.
- Owner
- Majid Al Futtaim Retail (franchisee for Carrefour in Egypt, in partnership with Talaat Moustafa Group on some sites)
- Founded
- 2002
- Branches claimed
- 70
- Branches mapped
- 33
- Owner
- Dreams Foodstuff Trading Company (privately held)
- Branches mapped
- 14
- Owner
- Privately held (El Fergany family); no public parent identified
- Branches mapped
- 3
- Owner
- Privately held (El Mahallawy family); no public parent identified
- Branches mapped
- 2
- Owner
- Founded by former executives of Metro and Kheir Zaman chains (Mansour Group alumni); independent company
- Founded
- 2019
- Branches mapped
- 4
- Owner
- BPE Partners (private equity, acquired majority stake 2018); founded by Jalal Abu-Gazaleh
- Founded
- 2006
- Branches claimed
- 19
- Branches mapped
- 17
- Owner
- Founded and privately owned by Mohamed El Hawary (Egyptian-owned/funded)
- Founded
- 2005
- Branches claimed
- 3
- Branches mapped
- 2
- Owner
- Mansour Group (Al-Mansour Holding for Financial Investments)
- Founded
- 1998
- Branches claimed
- 45
- Branches mapped
- 23
- Owner
- Privately held (Oscar family/management); no public parent identified in available sources
- Founded
- 1982
- Branches mapped
- 4
- Owner
- Family-owned (Seoudi family); corporate umbrella referenced as Seoudi Investment Group (SIG)
- Founded
- 1938
- Branches claimed
- 26
- Branches mapped
- 11
- Owner
- Spinneys Egypt (regional Spinneys franchise); CEO Mohanad Adly; investor base not fully public per PitchBook
- Founded
- 2022
- Branches mapped
- 5
The series
Five chapters on how Cairo buys its groceries
Chapters publish as their reporting clears review.
- 01The discount trio and BreadfastIn reporting
- 02The suburb giantsIn reporting
- 03What happened to the baqalIn reporting
- 04Kiosks becoming supermarketsIn reporting
- 05Who owns whatIn reporting
Participate
Add your baqal or kiosk
The chains are easy to count. The corner shops are not. Tell us about one and we will verify it before it goes on the map.
Photographs and artwork
Photographers and artists of Cairo
We are telling the story of how Cairo shops for food: the chains, the baqals, the kiosks, and the map of where they all are. It is a story made of numbers, and it is missing your pictures. Send us photographs or artwork of the grocery experience in this city. Your name is on everything we publish.
For example
- Someone buying tomatoes.
- A woman comparing two packets of pasta.
- Or surprise us. You know this city better than any brief we could write.
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One email a week. The grocery series and the rest of what we published.