Mega tech and fashion brands roll out new Dubai stores
Some of the world’s leading technology and fashion brands are rolling out multiple stores in Dubai as the emirate’s retail scene continues to pull in high-spending customers from the UAE and around the globe.
Today (October 29) Apple will open two additional UAE stores, one in Dubai’s recently-extended Mall of the Emirates and the other in Abu Dhabi’s Yas Mall with grand openings planned for both.
Another consumer electronics giant, Samsung, is also ramping up its presence with the Eros Group reopening the brand’s flagship store in Dubai Mall last week following an extensive renovation worth $1.3 million.
Spanning 9,200 square feet, the store has been revamped with a new look and feel to reflect the latest innovations and changes in technology.
Managed by Eros Digital Home, the store has Samsung’s full range of gadgets and electronics including the latest mobile phones and laptop computers.
“This new store showcases all of the UAE’s most-loved Samsung products in unique and innovative ways,” said Eros Group CEO Deepak Babani.
Eros Group, the sole distributor of world-renowned brands including Samsung, Hitachi, TCL and Linksys, operates more than 33 retail stores across UAE.
Some of the world’s leading fashion labels are also reinforcing their UAE presence with quintessential Italian fashion brand Ermenegildo Zegna opening a flagship store in Mall of the Emirates. It plans to open a second Dubai store in Dubai Mall in 2017 as part of its joint venture with the Al Tayer Group.
“The joint venture with Al Tayer is part of a long-term strategy to go directly to markets like this. We started in Brazil, we did it in China, we created a joint venture in India and in Vietnam, and these are some of the top countries. We felt Dubai was a key market,” said Ermenegildo Zegna Group CEO Gildo Zegna.
Mall of the Emirates has become top pick for brands looking to expand their Dubai presence following the completion of its $272 million extension last month.
Covering some 36,000 square metres, or the equivalent of almost nine football fields, the extension, dubbed ‘Evolution 2015’ by mall owner Majid Al Futtaim, has added new top-end retail, dining and entertainment experiences to one of the emirate’s best-loved malls.
Newcomers to the mall and the UAE include premium British fashion house, AllSaints, and yoga-inspired athletic apparel brand, lululemon athletica.
Later this year, leading US specialty retailer, Abercrombie & Fitch, will open the doors to its first UAE store at Mall of the Emirates.