Can you give a few figures on the retail activity of the Al Malki Group in the Gulf?
Faysal AlMalki: The family group Al Malki accompanies about 50 luxury brands in Arabia. My mother is French, my father is Saudi. So, I am Franco-Saudi, which helps a lot for the business because it allows me to have negotiations in French. It is now the 3rd generation that manages the company. In March, April and May 2020, our e-commerce (3% of the total turnover) has tripled compared to 2019. We are at 200% growth!
How are brand strategies evolving in Arabia following the covid crisis?
FA: The situation is accelerating deployment of e-commerce. Even those who did not want to deploy are now running pilots. We are in discussion with O Boticário, a Brazilian cosmetics retailer (4,000 stores). They know how to manage physical retail and are interested in Arabia. E-commerce is less risky than opening 10 shops at once. Dior Beauty was due to launch on the e-commerce market in 2022. Covid-19 has accelerated the timeline and it will now be available in 10 days. Today, if we do not include e-commerce, we are missing something, whether it is on our own or in a marketplace. Chanel Beauty was not previously represented by any online point of sale in the region.
