ABERCROMBIE & FITCH CONTINUES FRANCHISE EXPANSION IN THE MIDDLE EAST
Abercrombie & Fitch Co. in partnership with Majid Al Futtaim, the leading shopping mall, communities, retail and leisure pioneer across the Middle East, Africa and Asia, will open the first Abercrombie & Fitch store, including a shop-in-shop for its Abercrombie Kids brand, at the Red Sea Mall in Jeddah. The store will be located in the new extension of the mall, and when the brand opens in September, it will offer the fall/winter collection for men, women, and children. The continued brand expansion is part of the franchise agreement between Majid Al Futtaim Fashion and Abercrombie & Fitch Co. announced in 2016.
Majid Al Futtaim first introduced the Abercrombie & Fitch brand regionally in Kuwait, both at 360 Mall and The Avenues, followed by a flagship store in Mall of the Emirates in December 2015, that also saw the launch of the brand’s first fragrance boutique. Two further stores opened in Qatar at Doha Festival City and Mall of Qatar in March 2017. Including the launch in Saudi Arabia, Majid Al Futtaim partners with Abercrombie & Fitch Co. on a total of six Abercrombie & Fitch and three Abercrombie Kids stores in the Middle East in a mix of franchise and joint venture arrangements.
The 728-square-meter (7,836-square-feet) store will open in the brand new, modern extension of the Red Sea Mall, and will feature the brand’s open and engaging shopping environment.
“We are excited to be expanding both the Majid Al Futtaim Fashion brand portfolio and the Abercrombie & Fitch label in the Middle East, and continuing to bring highly sought after brands to the KSA region,” said Shireen El Khatib, CEO of Majid Al Futtaim Fashion. “The expansion and upcoming presence shows Majid Al Futtaim Fashion’s continued investment in the success of its franchise partnership.”
“We are looking forward to bringing our unique Abercrombie & Fitch store-based brand experience to our customers in Saudi Arabia, and complementing our existing omnichannel capabilities, supporting our goal of providing our customers with the ability to engage with our brands, whenever, wherever and however they choose to do so,” added Fran Horowitz, CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch Co. “We are proud to have Majid Al Futtaim as a partner to drive and support our continued expansion throughout the region.”
The franchise agreement will see the brands eventually expanding into Oman and Bahrain strengthening the company’s profile and the brands’ reach in the region.