2006 heralds Giordano entry to new markets

The brand is also on schedule to open its first store in India, in early 2006, having taken space at the new Chennai City Centre development.

Ishwar Chugani, Executive Director for Giordano Middle East, said:

"The Middle East has been a phenomenally successful marked for us, and having now opened more than 120 stores for the Giordano and Giordano Junior brands, we feel that we can now spread ourselves into new markets, using Dubai as a launch pad. The UAE's proximity to other key markets in unavoidable, and having personnel here, willing and able to travel to those markets, helps ensure quick response to our customers, be they partners or members of the general public."

"Our biggest step has been the decision to move into the Indian market and I am pleased to announce that in February next year, we will open the doors of our first store at Chennai City Centre. We have been working to launch in India for some time, and the market is tough for any multinational brand and it has taken a tremendous amount of energy and time to find the right locations and build a strong infrastructure to ensure a smooth entry. We are planning to open our second store by the middle of next year, and have signed an agreement for a location in Hyderabad."

Giordano has experienced another year of unprecedented growth, with a 20 percent increase in revenues for the year-to-date and looks set to repeat this success in 2006. The brand has signed a number of franchise and new store agreements during the year, which will see a rush of new stores during early 2006.

During October alone, Giordano opened four new stores in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, as well as breaking their all time single day sales record. The Saudi and Kuwait markets have performed very well, while the UAE has also improved over last year, Giordano's smaller satellite markets of Jordan, Oman, Qatar and the Kingdom of Bahrain have continued to grow their retail sales steadily, in line with the expected growth targets.

Mr. Ahmed Salahuddin, from the ETA-ASCON Group, Giordano's partner company, said: "It has been a very exciting year in retail across the region, but particularly here in the UAE. The continued growth of the population, the increase in inbound tourism and re-export potential has ensured the UAE's position as a major player on the world map."

As the brand moves into its second decade of operations in the region, it is shifting focus towards customer convenience, and taking a more 'neighbourhood' approach to retail.

Chugani explained: "It is our philosophy that Giordano should be convenient for our customers, both in terms of location and store set-up, which is why we have positioned ourselves at most of the retail outlets across the region. All our stores are currently undergoing an AED 15 million renovation programme, something that takes place every three to four years. We have already completed 25 percent of the refurbishment and expect the remainder to take around 18 months.

Through the refurbishment programme, Giordano will add benefits for customers, such as clear demarcation of product, wider aisles for easy access and larger fitting rooms. In a regional first, the brand has introduced two-way communication in each of the fitting rooms, which allows customers to communicate with sales staff without having to leave the fitting room, aiming to make the Giordano experience as pleasurable and simple as possible.