David Crickmore CEO Amouage, on the sidelines of the opening of the House of Amouage at City Centre Bahrain, in an exclusive interview said that he was optimistic of future business prospects of perfumery business in the region.
Amouage, a high-end luxury brand, has opened its first standalone shop in Manama, marking the fifth international mono-brand shop for the haute perfumery.
Bahrain City Centre now houses Amouage’s wonderful repertoire of fragrances in addition to an ever-expanding product range including collections for Home, Bath and Body, Fine Leather Goods and Travel Accessories.
“The timing for the opening of the new store in Bahrain is very interesting especially businesses are not expanding business but for us it is right time to keep on expanding,” he said, adding that Amouage wants to further strengthen the position of the brand by having a complete shop means clients should understand the DNA of the perfumes.
“Amouage gives importance to its sophisticated consumer base and we will continue to expand with 16 shops worldwide by the end of the year and 18 shops by the end of 2013,” he explained.
Talking about commitment to Bahrain he said Amouage as brand has been around for the past 30 years and Al Hawaj and Paris Gallery are wholesale agents in the country.
At the helm of the House’s successful international market penetration strategy is CEO, David Crickmore who envisages Amouage in a marketplace of global proportions. “Opening standalone shops in key opinion-forming cities around the world is at the strategic heart of the company,” said Crickmore. “This enables the brand to be seen in its entirety, with the full product mix, as well as in its own environment, therefore presenting the purest expression of the brand DNA.”
He added, “We are the only luxury brand from the Arab world that has a truly international reach, capturing local consumers wherever we are situated. Our products speak to myriad discerning patrons all around the world and we are able to exercise authority in the international luxury fragrance industry as a result of our uncompromising standards of quality and luxury.”
Designed by JHP under the guidance of Amouage Creative Director Christopher Chong, the shop in Bahrain embodies Amouage’s philosophy of artistry in perfumery, boasting elegant, clean-cut ivory furnishings and a gold leaf Murano glass wall feature. The House’s signature jacquard is exquisitely carved in some of the fixtures as an expressive representation of the brand’s timeless sophistication.
Crickmore explained, “The concept is to create a space in which our customers feel at home. Each market has its own sensibilities and we try to reflect elements from the country’s design culture rather than having a standard one-size-fits-all mentality to our shops.”
Today, the venerable House of Amouage has greatly expanded its distribution network where the brand is now sold in more than 50 countries in the world’s most premier stores including Harrods, Fortnum and Mason and Selfridges in London, Lane Crawford in Hong Kong, David Jones in Australia, KadeWe in Berlin, Bon Genie in Geneva and Bergdorf Goodman in New York City.