Abeer Azzuhoor, the new premium department Store in Sana'a, Yemen

In a country where retail and shopping malls are steadily developing, a few key retailers aim to upgrade their presence and brand image. Abbeer Azzuhoor is one of them. The new premium department store is housing the world most famous brands such as Dior, Armani, Versace, Dunhill and L'Oréal, offering perfumes, cosmetics, watches and fashion.

To create this new concept and coordinate the diverse portfolio and brands' identities, Abeer Azzuhour appointed Open D Group Dubai. The creative agency with full services of Branding, Merchandizing & Retail Architecture, was required to re-invent the Abeer Azzuhour concept, into a modern Yemeni department store.

After reviewing and analyzing the specificities of retailing in Yemen, Open D Group Retail teams created a complete new venue. They advised on the category zoning as well as the international trends to follow whilst keeping a local Yemeni signature. The Retail Project team also managed the expectations of individual partner brands such as L'Oreal Group Luxury Brands creating specific branded areas.

The second step was to translate the concept into reality in Sana'a. This included coordination of production in Dubai and installation/quality control in Yemen.

Gregory Fuller, GM of Open D Group Dubai, says: "We are proud to offer end to end design & execution services throughout the entire region. This premium department store in Yemen is a great example of our expertise."

At the launch event, key Yemeni Retailers and personalities from the Yemen government applauded the Department store concept and execution, which brings a modern and exciting benchmark to Retailing in the country. Osama Kaid, Deputy Manager, says "We are all very pleased with this new concept".