the carter murray retail report 2016 - middle east

THE CARTER MURRAY RETAIL REPORT2016MIDDLE EAST

PROVIDING RETAIL RECRUITMENT ADVICE & SOLUTIONS ACROSS THE REGION

Carter Murray Dubai is a 360 degree recruitment service connecting leading brands with the elite leaders and professionals within the Middle East region & internationally. Based in Dubai, we are well-placed to hand- pick top candidates for a broad range of jobs within the sector thanks to our extensive network of influencers and top players within the region’s growing retail industry.

We commonly recruit for luxury brands, department stores, retail holding groups, malls and commercial property management companies, travel retailers, cosmetics brands and independent designers. We have plenty of expertise placing candidates in divisions including fashion & apparel, accessories & footwear, cosmetics & beauty, luxury home & lifestyle, premium food and beverage, and consumer electronics.

As a comprehensive recruitment service we specialise in installing staff at all levels, from Boutique Managers to Executive-level positions. We place candidates in a variety of roles including general management, operations, marketing & brand management, PR & communications and commercial, as well as mall management, retail leasing, visual merchandising, buying, merchandising, store management, sales and franchising. We help companies of all sizes who are looking to set up in the region: from SMEs to global luxury brands, there are plenty of services we can offer to help make the transition smooth and successful.

Our prime location and willingness to travel means we can spend time on the ground with clients, learning about different businesses and their cultures in order to match talent with companies and ensure synergy between goals and skill sets. Having our offices in the region’s retail hub of Dubai means we understand the importance of placing retail professionals with the right brands, not just in terms of professional skills but also soft skills.

ABOUT CARTER MURRAY MIDDLE EAST

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Dubai competes with London, Paris and New York on the global retail stage, with the UAE being the second most brand-soaked region in the world after London. The city’s Mall of the World is under development, while its reputation in the fashion industry continues to attract in foreign investment and expansion.

Fashion and retail is ingrained in Dubai’s culture: glamorous events are packed with style bloggers and its shopping festival runs throughout January, providing an annual boost in tourism and revenue for retailers. Those living in Dubai certainly have a taste for luxury, and shoppers looking for a high-end experience frequently jet in to experience the retail haven.

While Dubai is the most established - and perhaps most westernised - city in our region, there are still many cultural differences that companies launching ventures in the UAE need to be aware of. Due to our extensive experience in the region, Carter Murray is able to inform retail groups, and those moving out to the UAE for work, of important aspects of UAE culture, from office etiquette to daily life.

ABOUT RETAIL IN DUBAI

The Middle East and North Africa already has a number of very well-established retail hubs, and plenty that are well on their way, but there are also up-and-coming regions such as Pakistan that are on the verge of breaking into our top five.

QATAR

In 2015 Qatar was named the Middle East’s most attractive retail market by the AT Kearney index. Multinational high-end brands such as Harvey Nichols have plans to launch in the country, and there are massive opportunities for expansion. Indeed, an estimated one million square metres of retail space is set to open in the country over the next two-to-three years in a bid to meet the Qatari demand for luxury goods. Furthermore, a series of infrastructure projects ahead of the 2022 Fifa World Cup, including Doha airport and Metro expansion, will make Qatar’s capital more accessible - thereby boosting retail opportunities further.

UAE

The UAE is the most established retail hub in the Middle East, with the nation’s big cities Dubai and Abu Dhabi competing with the likes of London, Paris and Milan when it comes to high-end shopping. By 2018, the UAE will have welcomed another big brand - Macy’s - to its already-packed marketplace, while Bloomingdale’s plans to open its second store in the country over the next two years. A Knight Frank report recently revealed that the UAE has one of the highest numbers of shops per capita in the world. A number of new malls have opened, while others have expanded, seeing 220,000 square feet of retail space added in just the final three months of 2015.

OUR TOP 5 TERRITORIES RETAIL LEADERS AND THE ONES TO WATCH

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SAUDI ARABIA

Retail groups are rapidly investing and expanding in Saudi Arabia due to the country’s size and recent boost in infrastructure. Al Futtaim Group, which operates Marks & Spencer and IKEA outlets in the region, has announced it will quadruple its retail offerings in the near future, while Sun & Sand Sports remains focused on the region. The drop in oil prices has seen the government trying to attract foreign investment in other ways, creating many retail opportunities. However, Saudi Arabia’s cultural differences mean it is not the ideal location for many people. However, Carter Murray is experienced in identifing those suitable for living and working in the country.

IRAN

Italian jeweller Bulgari recently said that Iran stands to be “the next big thing in the Middle East”. The government has lined up a massive boost to the country’s infrastructure and is inviting foreign investment. Jean-Christophe Babin, the chief executive of Bulgari, said that Iran’s 80 million population has an appreciation of luxury informed by “centuries of culture and architecture”. Furthermore its relations with major players on the world stage have vastly improved in 2015, making entry plans for foreign brands easier.

EGYPT

Egypt’s presence in our top five might surprise some, but there is currently a lot of investment going into the country. Indeed Saudi Arabia’s Abdullah Al-Othaim Markets Company is planning a £26 million expansion into the North African state. It said the reason for this decision was that the company “found that the current opportunity and the economic conditions of the Egyptian market are favourable and encouraging in light of the continued growth of the population and increasing demand for goods and services.” Furthermore, developer Emaar has recently announced a $820 million retail project to be based in Cairo in partnership with Dubai’s Al Futtaim Group. The project will include a mall with a gross leasablee area of 120,000sqm and will boast brands including IKEA, Marks & Spencer and Toys ‘R’ Us. Indeed, Emaar noted last year that the initial public offering for the Egyptian space had attracted more than 11 times the number of shares available for institutional buyers.

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ROLES WE HAVE WORKED

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VPPremium Global Department Store, Qatar

Head of CRMShopping Mall, UAE

Head of MarketingGlobal Luxury Optics Group, UAE

Regional Sales DirectorUSA-based Brand, UAE

Corporate Sales ManagerLuxury F&B Brand, UAE

Head of LogisticsLuxury Retail Group, UAE

Digital Marketing ManagerConsumer Electronics Brand, KSA

Flagship Store ManagerLuxury Brand, UAE

Senior Operations ManagerRetail Group, Kuwait

Marketing ManagerRetail Group, Bahrain

Mall ManagerShopping Mall, Bahrain

General ManagerLuxury Consumer Electronics Brand, UAE

Operations ManagerLuxury Retail Group, Qatar

Project ManagerRetail Holding Group, Qatar

Luxury Kidswear Brand ManagerRetail Holding Group, Qatar

Logistics ManagerCosmetic Group, UAE

Brand ManagerLuxury Leather Goods Brand, UAE

Country Retail HeadConsumer Electronics Brand, KSA

Retail ManagerLuxury Retail Group, UAE

Social Media ExecutiveRetail Holding Group, Kuwait

VPSemi-Government Entity, UAE

Senior Retail Marketing ManagerSemi-Government Entity, UAE

Visual MerchandiserLuxury Home Brand, UAE

Head of CategoryPremium Global Department Store, Qatar

Senior MerchandiserPremium Global Department Store, Qatar

We have worked alongside companies from local retail groups to luxury global brands, placing the right people in jobs at all levels up to presidential positions. Being located in Dubai and within easy travelling distance of Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Bahrain we often work on assignments and projects across the region.

We also take on many projects with brands currently located outside the MENA region but looking to expand into it. It is expensive and difficult to build new department stores in already-established fashion capitals such as London, while locations such as Qatar and Iran are a cheaper but very lucrative option with numerous opportunities for development. A current project exclusive to Carter Murray will see us place people into 100+ jobs for a global luxury brand.

The positions range from buying, merchandising, stock control, operations, marketing, visual merchandising right up to the VP level.


Merchandiser & Stock ControllerPremium Global Department Store, Qatar

Junior BuyerPremium Global Department Store, Qatar

Senior BuyerPremium Global Department Store, Qatar

Marketing ExecutiveLuxury Jewellery Brand, UAE

THE TEAM


The Carter Murray Middle East Retail team is headed up by Sophie Marshall, Senior Consultant Talent Acquisition & Executive Search, who has years of experience in fashion and retail.

Sophie graduated from the University of the Arts London (London College of Fashion) with a BA hons in Product Design and Development. Since then she has taken on roles at luxury British brand Jaeger, cosmetics company Benefit, high-end designer Ralph Lauren, and French luxury brand Lancome, working in various marketing and communication roles, before moving to the UAE in 2010 in order to pursue a career in retail recruitment across Middle Eastern markets.

Our team’s strong background in the fashion and retail sector means we have a deep understanding of retail companies, and are well-placed to identify the top talent and match candidates with the right roles. We pride ourselves on our adaptability and our ability to service clients very quickly, as well as our capabilities when it comes to understanding exactly what our clients are looking for.

The team’s Dubai location means we have built up a strong retail network in our region, which is where many of our referrals are sourced. Our marketing activities, attendance at product launches and events in Dubai’s retail and social calendar mean we’re an active player in the UAE’s fashion world. We have builded up relationships with big brands, influencers and regional fashion bloggers to ensure we’re aware of up-and-coming developments, events and talent in the sector.

Sophie MarshallSenior ConsultantE: [email protected]: +9714 448 7777

MARKETING & SALES RECRUITMENT

LondonT: +44 (0) 20 7415 2840

Hong KongT: +852 2973 6333

DüsseldorfT: +49 (0)211 2479 1150

SingaporeT: +65 6420 0549

MunichT: +49 (0)89 716 7756 00

FrankfurtT: +49 (0)69 363 9632 00

MilanT: +39 (02) 82950655

SydneyT: +61 (0)2 9236 9060

DubaiT: +9714 448 7777

MelbourneT: +61 (0)3 8610 8400