About Me

I’m Tariq Abubakar, a retail operations leader with over 15 years of experience driving transformation in the Saudi Arabian and GCC retail landscape. Based in Riyadh, I’ve built my career at the intersection of data analytics, operational excellence, and people leadership.

What I Do

  • Retail Operations Strategy — Designing and executing operational frameworks that scale, from single-store setups to enterprise multi-site rollouts across KSA.
  • Data-Driven Decision Making — Turning raw retail data (POS, inventory, footfall, CRM) into actionable insights that move the needle on revenue and margin.
  • Supply Chain & Inventory Optimization — Reducing shrinkage, improving stock availability, and building resilient supply chains suited to the GCC market.
  • Retail Technology — Evaluating and implementing retail tech stacks: ERP, WMS, OMS, and analytics platforms. I believe technology should serve the operation, not the other way around.
  • Team Leadership & Development — Building high-performing teams across diverse cultural contexts, from store managers to regional directors.

Professional Background

Over a decade and a half in retail has taken me across various verticals — from fashion and lifestyle to electronics and grocery. I’ve worked with both international brands entering the KSA market and homegrown regional chains navigating rapid expansion.

Key focus areas throughout my career:

  • Vision 2030 & the Saudi Retail Transformation — The Kingdom’s ambitious retail modernisation agenda is reshaping how we think about physical vs digital retail, localisation, and consumer behaviour.
  • Omnichannel Retail — Bridging the gap between e-commerce and brick-and-mortar operations in markets where both are growing simultaneously.
  • P&L Ownership — I’ve managed operations at the district and regional level, with full accountability for revenue, costs, and profitability.

Why This Blog

I started writing here to share practical insights from the field — things that actually work in retail operations, not just theory. You’ll find:

  • Retail Operations — Processes, frameworks, and lessons from the floor
  • Retail Tech — Tools and platforms worth knowing about
  • KSA Retail Market — Trends, opportunities, and the unique dynamics of operating in Saudi Arabia
  • Leadership — Managing teams, building culture, navigating change
  • Cybersecurity — A hobby that’s become increasingly relevant as retail goes digital

Get in Touch

I’m always open to conversations about retail, operations, and technology.

The views expressed here are my own.