Celebrating 200 stores

Setting up 200 stores across the region has been a fascinating journey for Nayomi, the region’s leading lingerie retailer.

The brand recently celebrated this incredible milestone with the store opening in Mirdiff City Centre in Dubai. The event was kicked off with a social media campaign called #200smiles.  A number of women and mall goers were invited to win an in-store shopping spree. The store also offers a collection of casual nightwear, in-house perfumes and creams. Its all showcased in luxurious pink rooms with a spectacular stocking-inspired ceiling design. Dramatic glass chandeliers make for a chic atmosphere where everything is pink, peach, black and white. What’s more the store is referred to as a princess palace.

Kamal Jamjoom, the group’s Founder and Chairman, Mark Pilkington, the group CEO and Stephen Holbrook, Divisional Director- Clothing Division were all present at the occasion. Mr. Holbrook explains, “This is our first palace in Dubai and our tenth, in the GCC. We started 23 years ago with one store and now we have 200. We are the biggest retailers in this sector in the region. For us it’s a big landmark. We aren’t a local brand, we are international.”

The brand is steadily expanding outside the region.  He adds, “We are opening our next store in North Africa in six weeks time. Another country we are expanding in is Morocco. The great thing about Nayomi is that we have a lot of faithful customers. We are hoping to use that as an endorsement. The thing that we do as a group is that we adopt internationally tested strategies. Other international brands have to look for a local partner to sell to these markets. This is when the prices end up being very high. With our group and what Nayomi particularly does well, is that we combine those two,” explains Holbrook.  Over the years they have captured the faithfulness of the local market while always offering contemporary styles.

What about online shopping? Mr. Pilkington feels, “It is still picking up but will develop quickly. Dubai will probably lead in this aspect. There are the usual fears and challenges of disclosing credit card details. People don’t realise that 30 percent returns are normal in this business and that may pose as a challenge. However I imagine that in the next two to three years online purchases may become another part of our business. Its nothing to be worried about. We want to be where the customer is 24/7.”