Apparel Group

Last updated
Apparel Group
Industry Retail
Founded1996
Area served
 UAE, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, India, South Africa, Pakistan, Egypt, Indonesia
Brands
OwnerSima Ved (Founder and Chairwoman)
Number of employees
16500
Website appareluae.com

Apparel Group is a retail conglomerate headquartered in Dubai, UAE.

Contents

The group has more than 1900 retail stores, 16,500 employees, and a portfolio of over 75 brands. It has a presence across 14 countries, prominently in the GCC region. The group's Founder and Chairwoman is Sima Ved. [1] [2]

The group has brought several global brands to the GCC region and other parts of Asia, including Nine West, Tommy Hilfiger, ALDO, Tim Hortons, Levi's, Aéropostale, and many more. [3] Business categories include fashion, footwear, cosmetics, lifestyle, F&B, accessories, and malls. [3] The group's primary audience is end consumers. [1]

History

Apparel Group was founded by Sima Ved and her husband Nilesh Ved in 1996. Their first venture was as the franchisee of Nine West in Dubai.

In 2001, the group gained franchise rights for ALDO and launched stores in the United Arab Emirates, [4] while in 2002, it launched Dune London in the Middle East. [5] Kenneth Cole, New York, was brought to the region by Apparel Group in 2004. [6]

In 2006, the group launched it's first Tommy Hilfiger freestanding store, [7] and it forayed into F&B in 2007 with the launch of Cold Stone Creamery's flagship store in the UAE. [8] Meanwhile, 2009 marked the year of several Aéropostale store launches in the Middle East. [9] Apparel Group's Club Apparel Loyalty Programme launched in 2010. [10]

Tim Hortons was introduced to the UAE in 2011 with five cafés and bakeshops, and the group launched The Children's Place in 2012. [11] [12] The year 2014 marked the launch of LC Waikiki's first ever store in the UAE, the introduction of footwear brand TOMS to the region, the first ever Inglot concept store, and the launch of fashion stores R&B. [13] [14] [15]

It opened its first mall and community center, Grand Centrale Mall in Ajman, in 2015 and also launched Charming Charlie in the UAE. [16] [17]

The year 2016 saw the group launch its largest regional shoe store, Shoe Gallery, at Yas Mall, Abu Dhabi, the first Rituals store launch in the UAE, and the launch of the brand's click and mortar arm, 6thstreet.com. [18] [19] [20] [21] [22]

It opened its flagship HEMA store in Dubai in 2020, [23] sustainable athleisure brand F5 in 2021, [24] and in 2022, the group opened it's first His & Hers store in the UAE. [25] Also in 2022, Apparel Group launched 45 fashion, lifestyle, and F&B brands in Dubai Hills Mall. [3] It also expanded its footprint in Qatar with the launch of 20 stores in Place Vendôme, the GCC's biggest LC Waikiki store in the same location, a Ritual flagship store, and R&B Kids and Calvin Klein stores for the first time in Qatar. [26]

Current operations

Apparel Group is present in 14 countries, with most of its operations in the GCC region, including UAE, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, India, South Africa, Pakistan, Egypt and Indonesia. [2] The group primarily operates through a franchise model and has brought over 98 brands to its areas of operations. [3] It has also developed in-house concepts such as sustainable omnichannel eCommerce platform F5 [27] and fashion website 6thstreet.com. [3]

Apparel Group Head Office Untitled design (1).jpg
Apparel Group Head Office

Some of the most prominent shopping destinations that Apparel Group brands are a part of include:

Brand portfolio

Fashion [3]

Footwear [3]

  • Athletes Co.

Cosmetics [3]

Lifestyle [3]

F&B [3]

  • Tim Hortons Innovation Café
  • Cold Stone Creamery
  • Molten Chocolate and Café
  • Sushi Library
  • Sumo Sushi & Bento
  • Jamie Oliver’s Pizzeria

Accessories

Malls [16]

  • Grand Centrale – Ajman

CSR and sustainability engagements

Apparel Group takes part in several CSR and sustainability engagements. To support the Expo 2020 Dubai Cares program, Apparel Group donated SKECHERS worth AED 1.5 million in school kits. [35] In 2022, it partnered with Nefsy and Taharum Charity Foundation to help those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, and distributed 150 meals from Tim Hortons to less fortunate children. [36] It also tied up with the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Foundation to donate 1,500 school bags to an orphanage. [37] It engaged in several charitable activities during Ramadan in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, including clothes donation drives and an internal employee donation campaign. [38] It was included in the Members of the Dubai Chamber Sustainability Network Task force that will start utilising Prompt Payment Practices for Suppliers and Subcontractors. [39]

The group conducts drives and initiatives for low plastic consumption and signed a pledge for the same. [40] It replaced plastic straws in its F&B outlets and unveiled a plastic-free mobile-based loyalty program. [41] [42] In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the senior management team of Apparel Group donated their annual leave pay for medical supplies in India. [43]

The brands under its portfolio also take part in several CSR initiatives. TOMS introduced a shoe recycling program during it's 15th anniversary at the Mall of the Emirates. F5 raised AED 30,000 for children's education with Emirates Red Crescent, [44] while ALDO held a fundraising campaign to offer access to clean drinking water in the rural areas of Sub-Saharan Africa. [45]

In 2021, the Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP) in Dubai tied hands with Apparel Group to provide parents with the skills to prepare healthy meals. [46] Founder and Chairwoman, Sima Ved, purchased Salvador Dali’s Etude de visages: Madonna, enfant et profile d’homme for $110,000 and contributed towards the 100 Million Meal Program. [47]

It was awarded the Dubai Chamber CSR Label and Dubai Chamber Advanced CSR between 2013-2020. [48] In 2019, it won the Dubai Chamber MRM Business Award [49] for its CSR activities. It also received the US Green Building Council's LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Platinum accreditation for its headquarters and warehouses. [50]

Major awards and accolades

Apparel Group was featured in the Great Place to Work rankings in 2022, [51] and was previously ranked in 2021 and 2020.

It was featured in RetailME Icons 100 most powerful retail leaders of the MENA [52] and won Images RetailME Awards through the years. [53] [54]

Apparel Group also won awards at the Filipino Times Awards 2019, [55] and the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Business Award for several cycles. [56] Many brands under Apparel Group have won the Dubai Service Excellence Scheme, and in 2014, the group won the Dubai Quality Appreciation Award. [57] It won the Sheikh Khalifa Excellence Award Gold in 2014 and the ALDO Business Concept in 2013. [58]

In 2020, the Dubai Economic Development recognised nine Apparel Group brands as a Consumer-Friendly Company. [59]

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References

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  2. 1 2 Mughal, Waqar. "50 Most Powerful Business women". Forbes Lists. Retrieved 2022-05-25.
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