Marka signs up 5 fashion brands

Dubai-listed fashion retailer Marka has been named the exclusive franchise operator for top international women’s fashion brands, Sonia by Sonia Rykiel, Laurél, Weill, Berenice and Essentiel Antwerp, the firm announced in a statement today.

The franchising of the five European fashion labels from France, Germany and Belgium represents Marka’s first push into the women’s segment.

Jamal Al Hai, Chairman of the Marka Board of Directors, said: “We have secured key international brands that support our vision of becoming the premier retail operator in the UAE and across the region and generating long-term value for our shareholders.

“Each brand we partner with is carefully selected, so we are confident they will resonate with the refined tastes of modern women in this region. These brands are truly distinctive and will stand out and capture attention of the discerning GCC shopper.”

Chief Executive Officer Nick Peel added: “Marka went through a careful selection process and partnered with these labels due to their regional appeal and leading position in the fashion forward retail space. For example, amongst Weill’s 48 monobrand stores and more than 870 sales outlets throughout the world, the best performing Weill store worldwide is located in Kuwait, so we are confident it will be a success in the wider region.

Marka said it plans to introduce more international brands to the region. Peel concluded: “We have now started rolling out our strategic partnerships with globally renowned brands and we will continue to pursue this growth strategy with a balanced combination of acquisitions, franchise agreements with leading retail brands and creating unique retail concepts with global partners that will generate long-term value for our shareholders.”

The company will commence trading on the Dubai Financial Market on September 25 under the trading symbol “Marka”.

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