The shopping experience in Egypt has improved a great deal in recent years. It's easier to find what you're looking for in the local market, from the best high-street brands to the most expensive designer wear. Following the successful format of acclaimed department stores like Gallerie Lafayette and Harvey Nichols, the country's old-school, once glamorous mega store Omar Effendi recently re-launched, putting itself back on the map of Egypt's retail market. Omar Effendi (OE) has renovated 30 of its 82 nationwide outlets following an extensive program aimed at modernizing the department store. Sheikh Jameel El Gnaibet, Omar Effendi chairman, expressed his satisfaction at the completion of the ambitious 30-outlet revamp project in record time. The project included full-scale changes to outlet facades, interior layout and design, an improved product range and a new company logo in both English and Arabic. OE told Daily News Egypt that each branch will cater to the area surrounding it, so different brands and standards are set accordingly. Originally established in 1856, Omar Effendi is Egypt s largest retail chain with 82 outlets nationwide. In February 2007, Anwal - a Saudi trading company - purchased a 90 percent stake in the company for a reported $102.5 million plus the assumption of all outstanding debts. The Egyptian government maintains the remaining 10 percent of the company. Sheikh Gnaibet reiterated the fact that the renovation plan was only one component of an ambitious restructuring blueprint. The company has signed agreements with a large number of local and foreign suppliers, with a view to offering a more contemporary product range to meet the consumer demands of today's market. Currently, several local and international brands are available including 24/7, Shoeroom, Miss Claire Lingerie, Glitter Accessories, Revlon Wigs, Skechers, Venti Kids, Femina, Mazloum Furniture and Metro Markets. Other phases include the upgrade of the company's remaining 52 outlets across the country, training employees, and creating a network to automate sales and inventory, to name a few. He added that Omar Effendi allocated a budget of LE 350 million to fund the renovation project as well as investments in IT and the new product range. The company has also launched their own monthly lifestyle magazine, OE Glam, which offers the latest trends in fashion, home designs and general essentials. Arnaud Mailhe, Omar Effendi's chief executive, said that special attention was paid to the needs of the entire Egyptian household, including children. Omar Effendi also supplies a broad range of household appliances at competitive prices. Fashion designer Amira Alaoui was appointed to oversee Omar Effendi's new fashion concept, featuring locally-manufactured clothing lines under the company's own label. Alaoui is a multicultural fashion designer: she was born in Morocco to a Moroccan father and a German mother, and gained most of her experience in the field by working in France for 10 years. She has worked for brands like Promod, Camaïeu, Pimkie, Burton, Carol, C&A and H&M. In an interview with the designer published in OE Glam, she said, "My future aim is to bring more designers specialized in different lines to increase the variety of Omar Effendi s production line and, at the same time, to enable the dawn of a new generation of designers, with a new vivifying spirit, developing this chic and elegant 'allure à la Francaise' style. Mailhe added that, in an effort to provide customers with a total, one-stop shopping experience, and agreements have been concluded with Bank Audi, i2 mobile phones and Metro Markets. OE has also signed deals with Costa Coffee and Pottery Café. Like in many international department stores, you can now take a break from shopping to have a drink with friends. Mailhe stressed that restructuring and renovation project aim to bring back the glory of the Omar Effendi name. And by the looks of things so far, the goal doesn't seem that far away.
