The Apparel Group owes its growth to the vision and guidance of its dynamic chairman, Nilesh Ved, who has helped the company grow in the past two decades.
Starting with just one brand in 1999, the Apparel Group now has the rights to more than 75 brands, including Tommy Hilfiger, Juicy Couture, Nautica, Aldo, Nine West and Aeropostale. It caters to thousands of shoppers through its 1,530-plus stores, employing 12,000 multicultural staff covering four continents.
Apparel Group has carved its strong presence not only in the GCC, where the UAE is its base, but also in India, South Africa, Poland, Singapore, Jordan, Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia. The company has strategies in place to enter such markets as Hungary, Pakistan, Egypt and the Philippines, and wants to enter Iran.
In December, the group opened 30 stores in Mall of Qatar, the largest mall in the country.
Apparel Group continues to add more brands and last summer it signed an exclusive partnership deal with branded footwear and accessories retailer DSW to open 40 stores across the region. In January, it signed a deal with UK-based toy retailer The Entertainer to launch 30 new stores across the GCC region.
Last year, Ved said challenges in the economy meant consumers cut down spending on luxury items in favour of mid-market products, which helped Apparel Group. It also created opportunities for growth because cheaper rent could be negotiated.
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