ABC (Lebanon)

ABC claims many innovations in Lebanese and Middle Eastern retail, such as fixed prices (when bargaining was the tradition), employing women in its sales force, advertising, opening the Middle East's first "international standard" open-air mall, banning smoking, implementing waste management, opening the largest private photovoltaic plant in Lebanon and introducing magnetic gift cards.

File:ABC (Top Floor) - panoramio.jpg

File:ABC department store at ABC shopping center, Achrafieh, Beirut, September 2022 01.jpg

File:Dining area at ABC shopping center, Achrafieh, Beirut, September 2022 03.jpg

In 1979 ABC opened what it claims to be the first true modern department store in the Middle East, in Dbayeh, a city on the Mediterranean Sea between Beirut and Jounieh. It was {{cvt|15490|sqm|sqft}} in size. In 2009 it was expanded to a size of {{cvt|44250|sqm|sqft}}. At that time New York firm nARCHITECTS designed, based on the company's logo, a laser cut aluminum screen enveloping the {{cvt|200000|sqft|sqm|adj=on}} existing building, and inverse cut-outs to adorn the facades of the {{cvt|250000|sqft|sqm|adj=on}} addition.{{cite web |last1=Carlsen |first1=Heather |title=nARCHITECTS completes ABC store in high-tech fashion |url=https://www.designboom.com/architecture/narchitects-completes-abc-store-in-high-tech-fashion/ |website=designboom {{!}} architecture & design magazine |access-date=30 November 2023 |language=en |date=29 June 2013}}{{cite web |title=ABC Dbayeh Department Store {{!}} 2013-08-16 {{!}} Architectural Record |url=https://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/7952-abc-dbayeh-department-store |website=www.architecturalrecord.com |access-date=30 November 2023 |language=en}}{{cite news |title=In Progress: ABC Dbayeh Department Store and Cinema Façade / nARCHITECTS |url=https://www.archdaily.com/166025/in-progress-abc-dbayeh-department-store-and-cinema-facade-narchitects |access-date=30 November 2023 |work=ArchDaily |date=7 September 2011}}

In 2003, ABC opened its {{cvt|126500|sqm|sqft|adj=on}} flagship shopping center including a {{cvt|13500|sqm|sqft|adj=on}} ABC department store within it, the first international-standard open-air mall in Lebanon, in the upmarket central Achrafieh neighborhood.{{cite web |title=Introducing ABC |url=https://www.abc.com.lb/data/about_file2/5.pdf |website=ABC |publisher=ABC |access-date=30 November 2023}}

In 2017, agency KKD completed a redesign of the department store's interior.{{cite news |title=KKD redesigns iconic ABC Achrafieh department store in Beirut |url=https://www.commercialinteriordesign.com/projects/kkd-redesigns-iconic-abc-achrafieh-department-store-in-beirut |access-date=30 November 2023 |work=Commercial Interior Design |date=21 June 2017}}

In November 2023 during the Gaza war, ABC Achrafieh was at the center of a controversy where it was claimed that the Palestinian keffiyeh was banned at the mall after an employee was told to remove their keffiyeh during work hours. It was also claimed that merchandise related to Palestine was removed. ABC later confirmed that the management did ask an employee to remove her keffiyeh due to the dress code for employees that bans religious and partisan symbols, but also said that customers are free to wear what they want, and said that they have no problem if one of their stores wants to sell merchandise related to Palestine. {{cite news |title=Keffieh Paléstinien Interdit à l'ABC Achrafieh | trans-title=Palestinian keffiyeh banned at ABC Achrafieh | language=fr|url=https://www.lorientlejour.com/article/1357733/keffieh-palestinien-interdit-a-labc-achrafieh-que-sest-il-reellement-passe-.html |access-date=30 November 2023 |work=L'Orient Le Jour}}

In 2017, ABC opened its third mall in Verdun, southern Beirut, {{cvt|155500|sqm|sqft}} in size. ABC Verdun is home to 200 shops and a {{cvt|10800|sqm|sqft|adj=on}} ABC Department Store. It measures {{cvt|150000|sqm|sqft}} and was developed on an ex-property of the Church in a joint venture with Bahaa Hariri, the Group of one of the sons of ex-Prime Minister of Lebanon, Rafic Hariri, murdered in 2005, whose other son Saad Hariri also served as Prime Minister. ABC Group holds 40% of the capital and operates the mall.{{cite news |title=A Beyrouth, le groupe ABC y croit encore. |url=https://www.lesechos.fr/2017/11/a-beyrouth-le-groupe-abc-y-croit-encore-187674 |trans-title = In Beirut, the ABC group still believes: Despite the war a few kilometers away, a difficult economic situation and absent international investors, the ABC Group opens a 150,000-square-meter shopping center|access-date=30 November 2023 |work=Les Echos |date=14 November 2017 |language=fr}}

The architectural design by Seattle-based CalissonRTKL is adapted to the climate, which avoids having to air-condition or heat the common areas: a large canopy houses the roof terrace where the restaurants and the garden are located. Below, the corridors are protected from rain but the air circulates and is refreshed naturally.

Other former ABC stores that are now closed include ABC at Bab Idriss Square (opened 1936), ABC Bab Borj (opened 1940), ABC Hamra (opened 1948, now an outlet store), ABC Zahlé (opened 1973, now an outlet store), ABC Kaslik (opened 1978) and ABC Furn El Chebbak (opened 1994).

ABC also operates 3 outlet stores: Tripoli (Lebanon), Zahlé, and in Beirut in the Hamra district. It operates standalone boutiques in its malls for three brands: Calvin Klein, Ted Baker and Tommy Hilfiger.[https://www.abc.com.lb/Directory/Stand-Alone-Stores/7 "Stand-alone stores" and "Outlet stores", ABC website]

In 2020 ABC launched an e-commerce site.

• [http://abc.com.lb Official website]
• {{cite news |title=Le Groupe libanais ABC ouvre son 3e centre commercial à Beyrouth |url=https://www.ecommercemag.fr/Thematique/retail-1220/Diaporamas/reportage-groupe-libanais-abc-ouvre-son-centre-commercial-beyrouth-320118/investissement-300-millions-dollars-320119.htm#Diapo7 |access-date=30 November 2023 |work=Ecommerce magazine France |date=31 August 2017 |language=fr}}

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Category:Shopping malls in Lebanon

Category:Department stores of Lebanon

Category:Buildings and structures in Beirut

Category:Retail companies of Lebanon

Category:Real estate companies of Lebanon