Valu and Alshaya expand flexible payments at franchise brands in Egypt

Valu has announced a strategic partnership with Alshaya Group to expand flexible payment solutions at a selection of international brands in Egypt, enhancing the shopping experience within the franchise sector. The partnership covers both in-store and online shopping, with dedicated repayment plans that include interest-free options, according to a report published on 11 October 2026 on the ‘Franchising in Egypt’ website.

Four brands included in the partnership

The participating brands are H&M, Bath & Body Works, American Eagle and Victoria’s Secret. Under the partnership, consumers will be able to use Valu’s flexible payment solutions when shopping with these brands in Egypt, giving them more ways to manage and pay for their purchases.

The agreement brings together Valu, a provider of comprehensive financial technology solutions in the Middle East and North Africa, and Alshaya Group, which operates and manages brands under franchise agreements. The partnership therefore directly concerns brands run by a franchise operator, focusing on the payment methods available to customers at checkout.

The repayment plans include interest-free options. This wording matters for consumers: interest-free options form part of specific plans and do not, in themselves, mean that every purchase or repayment option carries the same terms. In practice, customers should check their chosen plan before confirming a transaction, distinguishing between the availability of the service and the details of the offer applicable to their purchase.

Payments in store and online

The flexible payment solutions covered by the partnership are available through online shopping channels and physical stores. This makes payment options part of the customer experience in both settings, whether shoppers visit a branch or complete their purchases online, rather than limiting the agreement to a single sales channel.

According to the announcement, this integration aims to make shopping easier and more flexible while giving customers greater control over their purchases. The partnership combines Valu’s technological and financial capabilities with the reach of Alshaya Group’s brands, focusing on checkout and payment.

Alshaya said that combining its portfolio of international brands with Valu’s solutions gives customers in Egypt more flexibility in how they shop and pay. The group presented the integration as a way to deliver a smoother experience across channels, including both in-store transactions and online shopping.

For customers, the central message is that more repayment options are being added to the shopping journey. Comparing the available plans therefore remains an important practical step, alongside choosing a product and shopping channel, so that payment decisions reflect the amount owed and the terms involved, rather than simply the ease of placing an order.

Expanding Valu’s presence across Alshaya brands

For Valu, the partnership aims to expand its presence at customer touchpoints across international brands and strengthen its merchant network. The agreement connects its financial solutions to established shopping experiences at the four participating brands, drawing on Alshaya Group’s presence in Egyptian retail.

Valu said that integrating flexible financial solutions into shopping experiences supports the development of digital payments in Egypt, as well as improving the customer experience. These are the company’s stated goals for the partnership; the specific scope of the announcement remains the availability of payment options at the named brands and through the sales channels covered by the agreement.

Alshaya, meanwhile, is focusing on giving customers broader and more convenient options for managing purchases and payments. Both parties share the same objective: integrating financial services into the brand’s shopping experience, with physical stores and online channels covered by the same partnership.

The list of participating brands also defines the scope of the announcement for consumers. Customers should start by checking the brand they intend to buy from and the channel they plan to use, then review the repayment plan offered, rather than assuming that the group’s name alone determines the terms of every transaction.

What does this mean for the franchise sector?

The partnership highlights an operational aspect of Egypt’s franchise sector: improving how established brands serve their customers. The agreement adds flexibility to payments and connects an international brand operator with a financial technology provider to support shopping both in branches and online.

For brand owners and operators, the move offers a practical area to examine when assessing their own customer experience: how clearly repayment options are explained at checkout and how they are presented across different channels. For consumers, making the most of that flexibility starts with understanding the financial commitment attached to each option.

Practical takeaway: Before using the service, check that the brand and shopping channel are included, review the repayment plan’s terms and total cost, and do not assume that the availability of interest-free options means they apply to every purchase.