Satiating thirst for great deals

Vijay Samyani, founder of Concept Brands Group and Brands4u, is the man who brought affordable outlet shopping to the heart of the city.

Setting foot in Dubai in the early 90s with just Dh80 in his pocket, Vijay Samyani worked his way to become a leading player in the outlet industry in the UAE. The founder and chairman of Concept Brands Group is a man with ambitions, dedication, discipline has now reached the summit of success.

Concept Brands Group, home to luxury brands, was introduced in an era where retail was at its peak and competition was even fierce. Carefully analysing the market and the products up for grab, Samyani had given the people a destination that changed the landscape of retail - the Concept Big Brands Carnival, a unique shopping destination where premium brands were available at prices that people only dreamt off.

And that was the breakthrough, Samyani needed. And it was then when the Concept Big Brands Carnival became a household name for shopping. The intensity, atmosphere and offering was in such demand that the event had been organised in all of the seven emirates. In 2019 alone, it had been organised for a record number of 21 times making it the most occurring shopping event in the UAE.

The Concept Big Brands Carnival was the doorway to the introduction of Brands4u.

"It gives me immense pleasure to bring Brands4u to the fashion industry. The response we received from customers on the first day itself reflects the demand and popularity of our trend. We not only bring big brands, but also focus on quality brands with an affordable price tag. So, visitors can come to fill their shopping bags without burning a hole in their pocket," are the proud words of Samyani.

Starting from just a single store in 2017, Brands4u is now a leading and the fastest growing luxury retail brand in the UAE, as it is present in over 12 locations across the UAE. Brands4u brought back outlet shopping in the middle of the city. People once again had an opportunity of purchasing their favourite premium brands at outlet prices.

As demand grew, Samyani decided to take another leap forward and that was the opening of the biggest standalone factory outlet in Al Qouz, Dubai, with a mission to introduce various luxury brands to customers at a rock bottom price range.

"We provide a unique shopping experience by offering great product ranges and value for money. To bring this concept to reality, we brought a unique conceptualised store named 'Brands4u' that provides a vision of value for money'. These words had shook the retail industry and gave the public a shopping destination where people could shop without worrying about spending too much.

When outlet shopping began to take shape, Samyani planned to introduce outlet shopping online, as according to him, online shopping is the future. His investments in e-commerce came in the name of Brandsbay.com and later Brands4u.com. These e-commerce giants became the pillars of the Concept Brands Group.

Samyani had spoken to the public regarding this shift, and added: "We are delighted to offer value-based shopping experience to our customers, where shoppers get all their favourite brands under at discounted prices. We believe that Brands4u.com will open a wonderful shopping platform for them."

With aces in his hands, Concept Brands Group is now on the lookout for a location that could position itself for operations at full potential. And so, the plans to shift to new headquarters were laid down. This year, Samyani introduced the new location in Dubai World Central (DWC), set next to the Expo 2020. From a small office space in BurJuman to a standalone headquarters next to Expo 2020 was not an easy road, but Samyani's determination and foresight persisted towards success.

 

• Business and Technology Review