Thursday, Mar 24, 2016

Dubai: Dubai-listed retailer, Marka, plans to expand outside the UAE. It will take ice-cream brand Morelli’s Gelato, fashion brands City Chic and Weill, and jewellery brand dinh van to Mall of Qatar in the third quarter of 2016, it said in a filing to the Dubai Financial Market (DFM) on Thursday.

“Qatar has always been a part of our strategic expansion plans beyond the UAE — in particular because of the dynamic retail environment in the country, and the excellent location and tenant composition of the Mall of Qatar,” stated Khaled Almheiri Vice-Chairman and Managing Director of Marka.

Nick Peel, the company’s chief executive, added that the company is “reviewing additional opportunities to expand these brands across Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman.”

Marka recently announced its partnership with Japanese beauty brand, Shiseido, to launch a Shiseido beauty boutique at Dubai’s City Walk. The boutique is scheduled to open in the second quarter of 2016.

The retailer acquired the Middle East franchise operations of Morelli’s Gelato for Dh31 million in July last year, and said that it will open 17 new Morelli’s Gelato outlets in the Middle East and North Africa region by 2020.

Later that year in September, it acquired City Chic and announced the opening of three more outlets in the UAE in 2015. City Chic has over 100 stores across Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. The company was also appointed as the exclusive franchisee for dinh van last October.

Marka currently has over 40 outlets with over 1,200 employees in the UAE.

Staff Report

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