Another luxury brand has opened a boutique in Abu Dhabi, joining a growing list of premium labels setting up shop in the capital.
Berluti, a Paris-based shoe brand owned by LVMH, has opened a boutique in The Galleria, two weeks after the Italian company Momodesign opened its first store outside its home market in the same centre.
“A lot of our local customers who have been purchasing Berluti in our stores throughout the world have been asking for [an Abu Dhabi boutique] for quite a while,” said Steven Newey, Berluti’s general manager for Europe and the Middle East.
“Besides, Abu Dhabi has become a very key destination for the Middle East and also worldwide, so we decided to open a boutique here as well like we have in other parts of the region.”
The brand also operates boutiques in Dubai, Kuwait and Qatar and makes products tailored for its Middle East customers, who make up 25 to 30 per cent of Berluti’s clients. Its latest branch features the brand’s full range, including leather goods and a ready to wear clothing range.
“In the Middle East one of the favourite pieces they love are our sandals. We do a very traditional sandal which we do exclusively for the markets here within the Middle East. This is something they come back to us time and time again for, season after season,” said Mr Newey.
“We do sell sandals in our other stores but we also design specifically for the Middle East market ... with a certain sized heel which they wear with their local dress,” he added.
A recent report by Euromonitor International revealed that luxury goods sales are on the rise, driven mainly by the strength of emerging economies.
Retail growth is set to surpass last year’s figure, exceeding US$318 billion worldwide, which represents a year-on-year rise of more than 3 per cent.
The majority of the growth comes from emerging markets such as China, India, Indonesia and Malaysia, according to Euromonitor.
gduncan@thenational.ae
