“We are currently operating 21 Marks & Spenser stores in seven countries and are expecting to add five more stores by year-end,” Mark Senior, Head of Operations at Al-Futtaim Sons on the sidelines of the opening of a new concept store in Bahrain told The 24X7 News.
“We have seen a very good emerging business trends during the first quarter of the year in Bahrain and across the region and we hope this trend will continue towards the year-end,” he added.
Marks & Spencer (M&S) opened its new store at Bahrain City Centre shopping mall in Manama marking a significant milestone to the UK brand’s regional expansion drive. The store boasts M&S’s brand new store format which aims to make the experience more inspiring and convenient to shop for its customers.
“The new concept store offers everything under one roof and Bahrain is the first to get this type of Marks & Spenser store,” he added.
The M&S’s new store format was introduced in 2012 in other parts of the world and has proved a huge success in providing a visually stunning and convenient shopping experience to the customers. The main feature of this store concept is the interplay of pleasant interiors, inviting display windows and exceptional lighting schemes to attract and interest the customers. The new look food hall showcases the huge range and quality of M&S food, better highlighting M&S’s position as a speciality food retailer.
The 27,630 square-feet store located at the 2nd level of Bahrain City Centre, the popular shopping destination, opened to eager shoppers queued to get the first glimpse. The ribbon was cut by Mark Senior, Head of Operations, Marks & Spencer Al- Futtaim along with Bahraini Jaffar Saeed, Commercial Department Manager, Marks &Spencer Al-Futtaim.
An abundance of style was evident in the debut season offerings which were well appreciated by the visitors. The stylish and exciting fashion display details the extensive and innovative product range from M&S’s new summer collections offered at great quality and prices.
“We’re delighted to have opened the 1st new full format store in Bahrain City Centre today and believe that Bahrain is a burgeoning market for M&S. Bahrain is the 2nd market in the region to introduce the new M&S store concept and this further reiterates the importance we attach to this market. We are confident that the new displays and store format will build on M&S’s popularity in the region and attract an ever increasing number of customers,” John Cooper, Managing Director, Marks & Spencer Al- Futtaim, said.
“Our new inspiring displays co-ordinate under one roof, the latest runway looks and must-have collections across clothing, beauty, footwear and lingerie. We want to create brand new experiences for our customers: that’s the vision at the core of this concept,” John Cooper added.
Each clothing brand is now very clearly segmented, with distinct brand identities that allow customers to see which brand best meets their personal style preferences. This is highlighted for customers through unique branding, visual merchandising kit and clearer signage. For example, Autograph is luxurious and sophisticated with a black glass table and grey posed mannequins. An ethnically casual look for Indigo includes trestle tables and denim mannequins, whilst a sports-inspired look for Blue Harbour has authentic wooded sporting equipment and a large canvass sail. Per Una is true to its brand values with a feminine and vibrant look highlighted with white-washed wooden wardrobes and chandeliers.
M&S has also reviewed its entire beauty offer and has repackaged and improved all of its existing own brand products to reveal a totally new store fit and customer service offer.