A new look and feel to serve M&S well in UAE

Dubai: Marks & Spencer is changing its look and feel — no, not of its merchandise but of its stores in the UAE and beyond.

The first of the new concept outlets in the UAE opens on Tuesday at Mirdif City Centre and will offer the revered UK brand a platform to experiment with smaller formats in the region. Another, at Al Ghurair Centre and scheduled for an opening in the third quarter, will also have the new theme, while existing stores in the UAE will go in for phased makeovers, though no definite timelines have been set. Jordan was the first regional market to debut the new look through a 10,000 square feet location.

“The way the look has been conceptualised, it offers us access to malls that would have typically been seen as small by earlier M&S standards,” said Mark Senior, head of operations at M&S Al Futtaim, which holds the regional rights except in Saudi Arabia. “Definitely, it will open up some new opportunities.”

In terms of how the new look is different from the old, Senior reckons it has to do with the new flooring and lighting schemes giving off a “warmer and friendlier” appearance. “The signage improves on the customer navigation [through the store] and the differentiation between our brands and departments is much clearer,” Senior added. “But the core elements in terms of the product remain the same.”

Visual changes

But do visual changes to how a store is laid out matter for the committed brand follower? Or is it about tapping a new shopper base? “Any brand will want to do both; when you have as strong a brand as M&S the last thing you want to do is alienate the existing customer,” said Senior. “We have a tremendously loyal customer base and whom we always want to give a better shopping experience; at the same time want to grow the brand further and attract new shoppers for a win-win situation.”

Following Mirdif, a store is set to open next week at the Bahrain City Centre. Simultaneously, the one in Seef Mall, which opened way back in 1998, will be refitted with the new theme. The brand is getting increased exposure in Egypt through a flagship store later in the year.

As it works on new locations and upgrades to older ones, M&S is keeping a keen eye on its internal lines as well. The cafe, first introduced at the Dubai Festival City store, has come on nicely. “It has been a surprising success — we recently completed a revamp of the facility, introduced outside seating area and evolved the range through new lines such as iced drinks and falafel warps. There is also a kid’s range given it is a family market in the Middle East. We are looking to open more.”