Leading retail home interior chain plans to open more than seven new outlets in 2011 in the Middle East

March 08, 2011

Danube BUILDMART has marked its leadership in the Middle East region’s home interiors retail segment with an impressive 46 per cent growth recorded in 2010 - continuing with a year-on-year growth that has prompted the leading building material chain of stores to expect a 30 to 40 per cent increase before the end of 2011. The company has also revealed that it is eyeing the opening of more than seven new outlets. Danube, which started as a building materials supplier 17 years ago has found success in its introduction of a one-stop-shop concept called ‘Danube BUILDMART’ - opening a series of retail-based outlets that targets a diverse retail segment that range from developers, architects, interior designers to home owners wishing to redesign or decorate their household. Following the announcement of its recent 2010 growth report, the company has also revealed that they have added 10,000 new products into the current Buildmart portfolio - bringing the total product portfolio to more than 25,000 products.

Danube BUILDMART stores have earned a strong consumer following and acceptance due to its reputation of providing customers with high quality, world-class products for the home and commercial use. To date, there are 24 global Danube retail facilities - 17 in the UAE; two each in Bahrain, Oman and India and one in Saudi Arabia. The company also maintains key procurement offices in Canada and China. Looking towards more growth and development as an integral business in the region, Danube has announced that it is also mulling on the idea of an Initial Public Offering (IPO) listing in Saudi Arabia or the UA over the next five years.

“Our recent performance reports show that Danube BUILDMART has posted a 46 per cent growth in 2010 - a testament to the growing confidence and trust that consumers have placed in us,” said Rizwan Sajan, Chairman, Danube Building Materials. “The growth, which also reflects a year on year increase in profits, has also allowed us the foresight to look forward to another great year. We are expecting to close the 4th quarter of 2011 with 30 to 40 per cent growth. Rest assured, Danube will continue to provide its customers with world class high quality building materials - promising to open more retail outlets and create a stronger market presence not only in the Middle East but also across a more global market.”

Danube is set to unveil new concepts from Europe and the US, including products from a host of reputed international and regional vendors. Danube BUILDMART is set to offer exciting new products like chandeliers, wall paper collections, curtains, carpets, luxury sanitary ware, Venetian blinds, wooden flooring, garden accessories, home décor and soft furnishings such as quilts, mattresses, towels, and pillow covers, among others. The store also has a ‘Design Centre’, where customers can take floor plans of their houses and benefit from expert advice from consultants on which products suit their needs, as well as from consultation and after sales services dispensed by Danube’s interior design experts. Further, the company will be embarking on an expansion plan in the coming years with its recent AED 50 million investment in a manufacturing facility located in Techno Park, Dubai. Spanning 1.3 million square feet, the new facility will be completed in phases and is expected to commence operations soon.

“This is truly a banner year for us - not only are we looking to strengthen our market leadership in the region but we have also embarked on a strategic expansion move that will allow us to serve and provide our customers better. We have also added more products into our portfolio; household and building materials that come from leading US and European brands. Moreover, our current 25,000 product portfolio affirms our aim to become a premier one-stop-shop for the Middle East region,” concluded Sajan.