Martha Stewart has finally, officially opened her first standalone retail stores under her own brand name. But if you want to shop, you’ll have to travel to… Dubai.
As WWD reports, the home and lifestyle icon was in Dubai for the grand opening celebrations at Mall of the Emirates, following earlier soft launches at Mirdif City Centre and Dubai Hills Mall. The three locations, developed in partnership with Marquee Brands and regional retail partner Apparel Group, represent a first for Stewart, who has never had freestanding stores bearing her name despite decades of selling products through department stores and other retail channels.
A Very Different Approach to Retail
“I think people will be very pleased. The stores look incredible here. We are so excited and just waiting for more and more of our product to arrive,” Stewart told WWD at the launch event.
Stewart is now part of Marquee Brands, the parent company that owns her brand and orchestrated the Middle East expansion. Stewart revealed her personal approach to developing the retail spaces, treating them with the same care as designing a home. “I start with the walls and the floors and then I build around that with the furniture and the accessories and the mirror and artwork on the walls,” she said. “The kitchen to me is always one of the most important rooms in the house. This is a very different approach to retail.”
What Will the Stores Feature?
The stores carry a range of lifestyle products including kitchenware, baking essentials, bedding and bath, home fragrance, and decorative items. Stewart described the breadth of offerings: “Everything from pots and pans to baking accoutrements, all the different pans and things that you need for baking. You’ll be able to pick up towels, of course, and sheets for your bed, and duvets, and you’ll be able to pick up decorative items for your home, books, all kinds of things.”
She remains deeply involved in product development and maintains exacting standards. “I am very fussy, and I want stuff to be nice. I want stuff to be well made. I want stuff to be beautiful. I want things to please the customer in every possible way,” she said.
Why Dubai First?
Heath Golden, chief executive officer of Marquee Brands, explained the rationale behind choosing the Middle East – rather than the United States – as the location for Stewart’s first standalone stores. “We actually looked around the world and said, ‘where do we think we’ll have the biggest impact, the most success?'” Golden told WWD.
He cited the region’s mall-based shopping culture, growing birth rate, expanding middle class, and exceptional retail execution as key factors. The brand is finding strong traction in the Dubai market. “I love vibrancy and luxury and fast growth and we are doing really nicely here in Dubai,” Stewart said.
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