Dubai: Retail Arabia International, a regional investor in retail, Wednesday said it is going to open an 80,000-100,000 square foot showroom of House of Frasera 160-year-old prestigious British fashion retailer in UAE next year.
It will be the first international store of House of Fraser, home to many of the world's most famous brands, from Chanel and Estée Lauder to Prada and Max Mara. It currently operates 62 outlets in the United Kingdom.
Subsidiary
Retail Arabia International is a new retail venture of Daud Investment's subsidiary Daud Arabian and Gulf General Investment.
Having already established franchise partnerships with brands including Hamleys, Oscar de la Renta and David Morris, the collaboration with House of Fraser is part of the company's rapid expansion plan.
Retail Arabia International (RAI), a 50:50 joint venture with Daud Arabia and Gulf General Investment Company, plans to roll out a number of House of Fraser stores across the UAE, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Egypt.
"We are negotiating for a suitable place for the first store and will be able to make an announcement in 10 days," Nabil Daud, managing director and chief executive at Retail Arabia International, told Gulf News.
Having originated in Oman, his company employs more than 1,000 people. It also owns Gourmet Gulf that operates 17 restaurants across the Gulf, with 17 more to join the network.
Daud said he will hire 300 professionals to run the first store and start training them prior to the store's launch.
In a statement, John King, chief executive at House of Fraser said: "We are delighted to announce our plans to take the House of Fraser brand to the Middle East.
"This forms a key element of our growth plans for the business, combined with the expansion of our own brands and the development of our multi-channel platform, both nationally and internationally."
Humble beginnings
House of Fraser was founded by Hugh Fraser and James Arthur in 1849 as a small drapery shop on the corner of Argyle Street and Buchanan Street in Glasgow, Scotland, trading as Arthur and Fraser.
Hugh Fraser had previously been apprenticed to Stewart & McDonald Ltd, a Glasgow drapery warehouse where he rose to the position of warehouse manager and from where he brought many of initial customers.
James Arthur also owned a retail drapery business in Paisley, near Glasgow. He appointed a manager to oversee the Paisley business while he focused on his new business.
