The Chalhoub Group, the franchise partner for luxury brands such as Louis Vuitton and Fendi in the Middle East, is focusing on boosting its market share as lower economic growth and a shift in tourist mix affects revenue.
The first two months of 2016 were flat compared to the same period last year, when generous handouts by the newly appointed Saudi King Salman helped Saudi shoppers to spend on luxury goods, said Patrick Chalhoub, the Chalhoub co-chief executive.
The group, which operates more than 650 stores in 14 countries, expects to eke out modest growth this year. The oil price rout has slashed government expenditure in the energy-exporting Arabian Gulf region and lowered economic growth, crimping the spending power of consumers in these countries.
“I am telling my team not to focus today on what figures you are going to have,” said Mr Chalhoub. “I do not want them to focus their time into making budgets. I want them to focus their time on doing a good job and then to gain market share, rather than lose it.”
Mr Chalhoub said the company may add some 60 stores this year while closing others, depending on their profitability. Mr Chalhoub also cited the change of mix in tourists in the UAE, the main tourist destination in the Gulf, as a key challenge to luxury retailers.
For example, the trickle of Russian tourists, traditionally big spenders on luxury products, is affecting the UAE tourism industry because of the strengthening of the dirham, which is pegged to the strong dollar, against other weak currencies such as the Russian rouble and the Chinese yuan.
“We have less Russians who were strong spenders in the retail market, especially into luxury goods,” said Mr Chalhoub. “[There are] more Chinese but from the lower and middle class who spend less, but perhaps more of GCC nationals, more Indians and Africans. We have to adapt to this change in the tourist mix.”
Last year, the number of tourists to Dubai from Russia, CIS and eastern Europe dropped by 22.5 per cent compared with the previous year, according to figures from the government-run Dubai Tourism. Meanwhile, 450,000 Chinese tourists travelled to Dubai last year, up 29 per cent from a year earlier.
The group does not expect to expand into new markets and will focus on its existing business for the time being.
“In this market situation, for me the focus is on running the existing business, so I’m much less bullish on expanding,” said Mr Chalhoub. “The market situation will remain complicated and we have to adapt to the changes. We don’t expect it will pass and come back again as before.”
adapted from The National
Dior store Dubai Mall
The post Chalhoub Group: the Middle East luxury market remains complicated in 2016 appeared first on CPP-LUXURY.
from CPP-LUXURY http://www.cpp-luxury.com/chalhoub-group-the-middle-east-luxury-market-remains-complicated-in-2016/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=chalhoub-group-the-middle-east-luxury-market-remains-complicated-in-2016
via Your #1 Source to Finding Luxury & Designer Goods, Handbags & Clothes at or Below Wholesale: Click Here
No comments:
Post a Comment