Dubai: Watchmaker Casio is planning to open 10 stores in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries next year as it targets a sales turnover of $200 million in the region.
The Japanese company already has more than 30 outlets across the region, with three of those in the UAE. In the next two months, it aims to have stores at The Dubai Mall and Fujairah City Centre, according to Tsuneo Nagai, managing director of Casio Middle East.
On Thursday, the watchmaker opened a pop-up store at Bloomingdale’s, a luxury department store at The Dubai Mall. It is showcasing its G-Shock line of watches, which are priced between Dh400 and Dh4,000, and a limited edition watch for the UAE national day.
Similarly, Swiss watchmaker Swatch earlier this year opened a pop-up store at Mall of the Emirates.
“We want to capture demand from the young consumers,” Nagai said.
“Casio is in mid-tier market. They are trying to elevate the perception of the brand through having their own store [and that] differentiates them from mid-tier brands that don’t have their own retail stores,” added Colin Beaton, managing director of Limelight Creative Services, a retail consultancy in Dubai.
Traditional watches are viewed as going out of style as smartphones and smartwatches serve as consumers’ timepieces.
On competition from smartwatches, Casio’s Nagai said: “They have a limitation of power supply, design and variety. Our watches use a solar battery system, so you can charge with room light or sunlight.”