AAW and Nike Store expand Kuwait presence and launch first multi-category Nike concept store at The Avenues

A rise in athletic culture and active lifestyle in Kuwait:
● First Nike Store opened in 2010 in Kuwait, this is the sixth store opening in the country
● First all-comprehensive store in Kuwait with evolutionized layout concept carrying seven athletic categories
● Second largest Nike store in Kuwait at 330 square meters after the launch of five multi-category stores
● Includes more than 400 products on display in shopper-friendly luxurious, loft space

Kuwait, March 30, 2013: Ali Abdulwahab Al Mutawa Commercial Co. (AAW) today announced further investment in its Nike Store franchise in Kuwait with the launch of its first Nike multi-category store based on the latest EVO concept design at SoKu, The Avenues. The store occupies more than 330 square meters and includes the widest range of sports fashion footwear, equipment, apparel and accessories in Kuwait to date.

This is the sixth Nike store in the country and represents a wider investment and a stronger relationship between the local franchisee, AAW, and Nike Store. The latest store is the first concept in the Middle East with the recent EVO layout concept to carry men, women, and kids' sportswear collections displaying more than 400 products under a single roof in its key categories: Football, Running, Basketball, Sportswear, Action Sports, Athletic Training, and Women's Training.

Head of Retail Operations at AAW, Malik Saad said: "Since we launched our first Nike Store in 360 Mall in 2010, we've seen a continued increase in demand for Nike's quality products, driving us to open five more stores across Kuwait in the 3 years that followed, the latest of which is The Avenues Nike Store that was launched today.

"In the last 20 years, Nike has continuously provided the best product innovations suited for a wide-range of athletic performances. With our first multi-category concept store at The Avenues, we hope to create a one-stop-shop for athletes, sports fanatics and sports fashion lovers and bring them closer to revolutionary and highly-innovative sporting goods to meet all their needs."

The Nike store at The Avenues sits alongside five other multi-category stores across Kuwait. They include Nike Souq Sharq, Nike at Kuwait International Airport, Nike Discovery Mall, Nike 360 Mall, and the first Nike flagship store in Kuwait at Bidaa.

Nike Store is now open at SoKu, The Avenues and will be the first to introduce the luxurious EVO store design that provides an enhanced and shopper-friendly environment within a boutique-inspired space. It will also be part of "The Frequent Buyer Program" offered by Nike stores across Kuwait, which provides a 50% off the sixth pair of purchased athletic footwear.

About Ali Abdulwahab Al Mutawa Commercial Co. (AAW):
Ali Abdulwahab Al Mutawa Commercial Co. (AAW) is an international group, considered as one of the largest trading and commercial companies in the Middle East, representing over forty different global brands in the surging Middle East retail and consumer goods market.

AAW is a diversified group of companies successfully operating across a range of continuously growing sectors like Consumer Goods, Pharmaceuticals, Furniture and Carpets, Real Estate, Kitchen Furniture, Home Appliances, Outdoor Gear, Sports and Fashion, and having various world class brands in its portfolio like P&G, Pfizer, Nike, TAF, Crocs, Curves, Puma, Reebok, Prince, Shoebox New York, among many others.

For more information, please visit: www.aaw.com

About Nike Store:
Nike Store is a concept store selling the world's leading authentic athletic footwear, apparel, equipment and accessories for a wide variety of sports and fitness activities. Wholly owned Nike subsidiaries include Converse Inc., which designs, markets and distributes athletic footwear, apparel and accessories; Cole Haan, which designs, markets and distributes luxury shoes, handbags, accessories and coats; Umbro Ltd., a leading United Kingdom-based global football (soccer) brand; and Hurley International LLC, which designs, markets and distributes action sports and youth lifestyle footwear, apparel and accessories.

Nike Store franchiser in Kuwait is Ali Abdulwahab Al Mutawa Commercial Co. (AAW).

For more information, please visit: www.nikeinc.com.

For media inquiries, please contact:
Dareen Awwad - Bensirri PR - (965) 99981224 - dareen@bensirri.com