Leading UAE-headquartered diversified conglomerate Al-Futtaim and John Lewis have signed a wholesale agreement which paves the way for the Middle East launch of the renowned UK retailer’s iconic stores and its diverse range of upmarket and value products.
According to the deal, John Lewis’ home department will spearhead Dubai Festival City Mall’s new flagship Robinsons store scheduled for a spring 2017 opening. To span 15,000 sqft, John Lewis’s home department in Dubai will be the UK retailer’s largest overseas shop-in-shop.
At its Robinson’s shop-in-shop, John Lewis will be doubling its product assortment compared to its existing international collaborations offering Dubai Festival City Mall’s shoppers its label furniture, cookware, textiles, glassware and nursery products in addition to the retailer’s household bed, bath, living and gifting assortments.
Al-Futtaim and John Lewis have also agreed to further extend their existing partnership with Robinsons currently limited in Singapore, by exporting the concept to neighbouring Malaysia with next month’s opening of a 630 sqft John Lewis shop-in-shop at Robinson’s Kuala Lumpur store.
Paul Delaoutre, President Al Futtaim Retail said: “Al-Futtaim’s solid regional retail infrastructure, know-how and reputation seamlessly blend with John Lewis’s global appeal as a renowned retailer in a long-awaited exclusive partnership designed to offer discerning UAE consumers even more choice and options.
“At Al-Futtaim we are creating an unparalleled portfolio of brands and shopping experiences to cater for the different needs and tastes of the region’s diverse consumer base and our latest entrepreneurial venture with John Lewis is testament in our ability to create and deliver bespoke win-win retail concepts with best-in-class partners.”
The look and feel of the new shop-in-shop will be designed by John Lewis’s store design team in collaboration with Al-Futtaim and Robinsons.
Andy Street, Managing Director, John Lewis, said: “We’re delighted to be working with Robinsons again on two new ventures. The success of our existing international shop-in-shops has given us the confidence to open in the Middle East and increase both the scale of the space and product assortment. This is an exciting time for Al Futtaim’s Dubai Festival City Mall and we’re pleased that John Lewis will be a part of the next phase of its redevelopment.”