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The spending power of wealthy Arab consumers has long been appreciated by the major global luxury fashion brands. Now, these customers are becoming more exploratory in their shopping — a positive trend that is opening up new opportunities for niche and emerging brands.

The clichéd view that Arab shoppers prefer to play safe by buying leading luxury heritage labels no longer holds firm, say an increasing number of retailers in the Middle East. The region is a mature market, with brands such as Chanel, Dior, and Gucci present since the 1980s. Multi-storey flagships are implanted across Gulf capitals, with Dubai as the key location for superbrands.

However, many Arab shoppers are ready to look beyond the powerhouse brands of global luxury, according to industry insiders. Jacob Czarnota, CEO of Magda Butrym, a luxury Polish brand that entered the Gulf region two years ago, says: “It’s a region that has the spending power and taste for luxury goods. It is also undergoing social change [with] a shift in interest from core luxury heritage brands towards newness.”

The search for the new

This openness to newness is encouraging retail players in the Gulf to look beyond their well-established marquee luxury labels. Emerging independent labels are attracting interest from key retailers including That Concept Store, part of the giant Majid Al Futtaim (MAF) Lifestyle portfolio, and multi-brand Etoile La Boutique, part of the Etoile Group, which also represents luxury brands such as Etro, Chanel and Tod’s. Also in the mix is luxury e-commerce portal Ounass, owned by Al Tayer Insignia, a longtime key player in retail in the region for over three decades, and the exclusive licensee of Harvey Nichols in the UAE and of Bloomingdale’s in both the UAE and Kuwait.