Majid Al Futtaim, the leading shopping mall, retail and leisure pioneer across theMiddle East and North Africa (MENA) and Authentic Brands Group, LLC. (ABG) today announced a long term strategic partnership to accelerate global luxury lifestyle brand, Juicy Couture in theMiddle East. Majid Al Futtaim Fashion, the fashion retailing arm of Majid Al Futtaim is now the master retail and wholesale distributor for the brand in the Middle East.
"We are committed to growing Juicy Couture in key global markets and the Middle East is a major component of that growth," said Jamie Salter, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of ABG. "We have aligned with Majid Al Futtaim Fashion, the wholesale and distribution leader in the MENA territory."
"Juicy Couture is one of Majid Al Futtaim Fashion's most established and best-performing labels in our portfolio, having created a thriving business for the lifestyle brand in the region," saidRajiv Suri, CEO at Majid Al Futtaim Fashion. "Taking on the position of master distributor for Juicy Couture in the region, demonstrates our leadership and expertise in fashion retailing. We look forward to working with ABG to significantly grow Juicy Couture's presence in the MENA market over the coming years."
As the appointed exclusive distributor for the region, Majid Al Futtaim Fashion will create a harmonised brand presence across its point-of-sale networks including boutiques, shop-in-shops and wholesalers. The Middle Eastern consumer will benefit from access to Juicy Couture's unique,Los Angeles inspired collections, having a greater selection of apparel to choose from and consistency in pricing across all locations.
Majid Al Futtaim Fashion is focused on the brand's expansion strategy by opening new Juicy Couture stores with a recent opening in Yas Mall,Abu Dhabi. This month Juicy Couture debuts inQatar in Lagoona Mall, Doha and is slated to open a number of stores inSaudi Arabia in 2015.
The next phase of growth in the Middle East will center on creating an integrated distribution network beyond shopping malls. Building on the success of Juicy Couture's Black Label Collection, a major push in eCommerce, with both omni-channel and wholesale online accounts, will significantly extend the brand's reach across the territory.
Majid Al Futtaim - Fashion first introduced Juicy Couture to the Middle East in 2007 with a boutique inDubai. Today, the luxury lifestyle brand is its best performing label with 19 freestanding stores in UAE, KSA,Lebanon, Kuwait and Bahrain and plans to open thirty new stores across the region by 2019.
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