Al Maya Group

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Borders Bookstores- A Pioneering Success Story for Al Maya Group

The Al Maya Group is one of the biggest business conglomerates in Dubai and the rest of the UAE. While it is primarily known for a variety of businesses including food distribution, retail (it owns more than 50 supermarkets throughout the UAE), bakery and more, the Group’s biggest turnaround has come with the revival of Borders Bookstore in Dubai. A decade earlier, the parent entity filed officially for bankruptcy in the United States and the bookstore chain Borders today is successfully running in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and several other Gulf regions. Borders is a precious component in the portfolio of the Al Maya Group.

The Group never thought of doing away with the branding and name Borders at the time of acquisition of complete regional rights earlier. This was irrespective of the situation faced by the parent company in the United States market. The Group felt that since Borders was firmly entrenched in consumer minds, the name change would have needed rebranding on a large scale. The initial rights were purchased in the year 2006 when the first store came up in the Mall of the Emirates. The life-time rights are with the Al Maya Group today.

The brand filed for bankruptcy in the year 2011 and it was later acquired by Barnes & Noble. The Group negotiated for the life-time Middle East rights in October, 2015. The Group had already been representing the brand from 2006 in this region and the life-time rights represented a major plunge by all means. The Group kept all the original locations intact while tweaking the mix of merchandise, bringing in some additional space for lifestyle products and even adding space in the children’s zone of the bookstores. The market shifted in a year with more consumers viewing Borders as a solution for finding almost everything under a single roof. The merchandise mix was introduced likewise and comprised of toys, books and stationery along with other items. Borders did have a section for children but consumer patterns changed gradually with parents encouraging kids to read more in a bid to lower screen time. From almost going out of circulation to becoming a major success story today, Borders has transformed beyond recognition courtesy the pioneering initiatives taken by the Al Maya Group.

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