Dubai: Matalan, one of the fastest growing retail houses in the UK, has recently opened its second department store in Dubai to cater to untapped customers who are looking to make the most of their money in lean economic times.
The newly opened outlet is located in Lamcy Plaza and is set to attract the predominantly Asian shoppers in the area who may not be familiar with the British brand. The discount clothing and homeware retailer, solely distributed in the Middle East by the Business Trading Company (BTC), is bullish about expanding its market in Dubai through its value-for-money position.
BTC is embarking on an aggressive growth path, as it is looking to open three to four additional stores in Dubai in the next 18 months. It also seeks to expand in Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Fujairah and Ras Al Khaimah, as well as in Muscat, Bahrain, Qatar and Jordan, among other markets.
Matalan now has three outlets in the UAE, two in Dubai and one in Abu Dhabi. The brand offers a wide array of products ranging from homewares to ladies' men's and children's clothing, lingerie, footwear and accessories — all under one roof and at up to half the high street price.
‘Designed to perform'
"The big difference of Matalan is the pricing, quality and value position. It's a brand for today's economic climate. It's designed to perform well at a time when people are tightening their purse strings," Hasit Kakkad, retail manager for BTC, told Gulf News.
Kakkad pointed out that while most retailers are seeing their inflows fall, the brand is doing "exceptionally well" in the UK, reporting £186 million in net profits for the period March 2009 to February 2010.
He said the brand's performance in the UK only shows that during a recession, shoppers look for products of outstanding quality at pocket-friendly prices.
"A lot of shoppers compliment us mostly for the quality of our products. You can buy items from value retailers, put them in a washing machine and it won't come out as good. With the Matalan brand, you can wash it a hundred times and it will still be in good shape," Kakkad said.
The brand also enhances its value position by adding a luxurious feel to the new store's design and layout, taking away that warehouse-like vibe that is mostly associated with discount stores.
"Our biggest challenge today is we've made this lovely looking store in Lamcy that looks expensive, but the prices are really great. We kanow that customers here don't want to be in a warehouse-like environment. They want to be in shopping areas with good quality finish," he said.
