Popular UK fashion retailer set to open its doors at Deira City Centre

The first New Look store is scheduled to open at Deira City Centre at the end of September 2006.

New Look offers accessible, high quality fashion for all, bringing the latest trends in clothing, footwear and accessories to women, men and children. A series of new range expansions include a collection specially tailored for taller women, the launch of 'Bloom' maternity wear and sees menswear extend to 66 stores. September 2006 will see the launch of New Look's first ever childrenswear collection, from newborn to 10 years, which will sit alongside the Generation 915 aimed at teens.

Commenting on the opening of New Look, Micky Jagtiani, CEO, Landmark Group, said, 'We are very pleased to bring a key International fashion brand to the UAE and we expect the store to be a real hit with consumers who are looking for the latest styles and trends at affordable prices. New Look offers something for everyone - from the university student to the expectant mother and the young career woman to the housewife.

'The latest collection comprises a mixture of smart and casual classics alongside the hottest trends of the season straight off the catwalk. We're pleased to continue our long standing relationship with the MAF Group and look forward to opening the doors to the Middle East's first New Look store very soon.'

Speaking at the tenant signing, Phil Wrigley, CEO, New Look said: 'Dubai is on the map as a competitive retail market, so as our expansion plans continue, it seemed a natural choice to explore this market. We aim to open around 30 stores across the region, with Dubai being the first. We're excited about this new venture and look forward to seeing how the brand performs.'

Although this is New Look's first opening in the Middle East region, the brand already enjoys a wide reach across Europe with 550 stores in the UK alone, 16 in Ireland and newly opened outlets in France and Belgium. There are also 218 stores, trading as MIM, in France.

The expansion of New Look outlets has brought about outstanding financial performance for the company over the past few years. Up to March 2006, group sales grew by 6.0% to a record £862.2m.

Group space grew by 300,000 sq ft in the year to March 2006, over 90% of which was in the UK and Eire. New Look has also recently launched its largest ever store in Coventry, UK in line with the strategy to drive future growth from larger stores.

The further increase in space has allowed New Look to continue the expansion of product categories. By March 2006, menswear ranges were in 66 stores, with rollout to a further 100 stores planned in the coming year. Maternity wear, and a range for taller women have now been launched, and New Look's Childrenswear range is due to appear in the autumn in 60 stores. New Look has also recently added Wide Fit Footwear, 915 Teen Footwear and a full range of 915 Accessories.

Looking ahead, New Look is confident that a combination of the investments that have made in the business, together with the planned increase in the selling space and larger stores format, position the brand well to increase sales, grow market share and continue to grow profits.