New concept electronics chain to focus on women customers


October 30, Dubai, UAE: Established over 45 years ago in the United Kingdom, the home appliances brand Binatone has recently arrived in the UAE under the wing of Better Life, a new concept electronics chain introduced by the Easa Saleh Al Gurg (ESAG) Group.
 
On October 1, the Scientechnic home appliances and cordless phones division and Al Gurg Electronics stores merged to form ‘Better Life’ , with the first new concept outlet now open at the old Al Gurg Electronics store in Bur Dubai, behind Dubai Museum.
 
All the brand names sold under the Scientechnic home appliances and cordless phones division and Al Gurg electronics will now be sold under ‘Better Life’. This division of the Scientechnic chain and the other Al Gurg Electronics store will be progressively re-branded ‘Better Life’ within the next few months. Within the next 12 months there are expected to be a total of eight Better Life outlets: six in the UAE, one in Oman and one in Qatar.
 
Binatone, a leading international small home appliances brand from the United Kingdom, will be an additional brand sold under ‘Better Life’ alongside Siemens home appliances and cordless phones, Admiral, Terim, Scandinova, Starmix and Wolf brands which will be retailed and distributed now by the new company. Binatone is a global market player with a current annual shipment of five million small appliances to Europe, Middle East and Africa alone; it is also a top five manufacturer of kettles worldwide. 
 
Better Life and its tie-up with Binatone was officially announced to ESAG’s 130 dealers at a recent gathering. Binatone will be distributed solely by the ESAG Group in UAE, Oman and Qatar and retailed at Better Life showrooms and at over 15 dealer showrooms in the UAE; Dubai Marketing Showroom, and Al Ranem enterprises to name a few.
 
Better Life is a concept initiated by the ESAG Group after identifying the benefits of having a showroom that sells an entire range of electronics white goods, medium consumer goods and small domestic appliances - under one roof, with a special focus on women.
 
“Better Life’s promise to its customers is to provide the widest range of home appliances, both large and small, at different price points as well as to offer outstanding after sales service,” said Ajai Dayal, Retail and Marketing Manager, Easa Saleh Al Gurg Group.
 
He added: “Better Life will specially cater to women, as they are often the main decision makers in buying home appliances. The ‘feminine’ approach already is reflected in the Better Life logo and will also be demonstrated in the new interior design planned for the showrooms”.
 
Mr. S.B. Jeyaseelan, Group General Manager, Easa Saleh Al Gurg Group commented, “Binatone adds strength to ESAG’s brand portfolio by offering over 100 different products ranging from kitchen appliances like kettles, toasters, coffee makers to home and personal care appliances like foot massagers, hair dryers, irons and for women”. Binatone’s operational base is in Hong Kong, design and engineering of the products are based in Europe with a supervising team located in each country to monitor production.
 
All Binatone products are made to comply with pan Europe safety standards (CE) as well as German safety standards (GS). All the products are sold with a unique two-year guarantee and can be repaired by a network of 100 service centres around the world.
 
Sunil Lalvani, Managing Director, Binatone Industries Limited, commented on the venture into the UAE. “Our global production volumes allow for us to offer Middle East customers a wider range of products than our competitors. Our base office for the region has been set up in Dubai in order to focus on brand building and we have product trainers who are currently educating the sales force on the functionality of the products.”
 
Continues Lalvani: “A local base is very important for effective expansion. Franchising our products through the Al Gurg Group’s division Better Life gives us a concrete platform from which we can build customer confidence and continue to expand our markets in the Middle East. The other countries we are looking at are Bahrain, Kuwait, Iran, Algeria and Libya”.
 
-Ends-
 
Notes to the Editor:
The Easa Saleh Al Gurg (ESAG) Group was founded by the Chairman of the Group, H.E. Easa Saleh Al Gurg CBE in 1960 with the acquisition of the Grundig franchise. Today the group is associated with over 20 brands like British American Tobacco, Unilever, Dunlop, Benetton, Burmah Castrol to name a few.
 
The ESAG Group has been in the electronics business for the last 45 years operating franchised brands from their Scientechnic and Al Gurg Electronics showrooms. The brands sold by ESAG in these showrooms are Siemens, Admiral, Terim, Scandinova, Wolf, Starmix, Grundig and now Binatone. The Scientechnic home appliances and cordless phones division and Al Gurg Electronics have recently merged to form Better Life, a new concept chain of electronics. Al Gurg’s new acquisition – Binatone - is a home appliances brand established 45 years ago in the UK, with presence in Asia, Europe, Africa, Baltic States and now the UAE, Oman and Qatar under the ESAG Group.
 
Distributed for the Easa Saleh Al Gurg Group by the TEAM/Y&R PR Unit.
For further information, please contact
Abha Malpani or Rami Halawani.
Tel: (971-4) 3344550,
Fax:(971-4) 3344556,
email: abha@teamyr.com,
r.halawani@teamyr.com

© Press Release 2003