Linen Obsession focuses on the secret of sound sleep

A new multi-channel store at Mirdif City Centre showcases a vast collection of linen, bedding and wellness products from quality brands that are designed to enhance your sleeping experience

by

Joydeep Sengupta

  • Follow us on
  • google-news
  • whatsapp
  • telegram

Top Stories

Published: Thu 24 Nov 2022, 10:20 PM

Vicki Culpin, a UK-based professor of organisational behaviour at Hult Ashridge Executive Education, in her book The Business of Sleep: How Sleeping Better Can Transform Your Career, said around half of adults in the UK and US do not get enough sleep. She cited that if the sleeping pattern is corrected, it could boost the UK economy by up to £36 billion (Dh155.93) per year.

Though such data is not available in the Arabian Gulf, Australian expatriate Pamela Lilburne Opie has been plugging this critical gap in the market since she started her company in Dubai in 2008.

She moved from Melbourne to Dubai after seeing the opportunity for a professional local company to supply quality European brands to the region.

Opie is the founder and CEO of Linen Obsession and has recently opened her digitally integrated flagship store, which bears her company’s name, at Mirdif City Centre in Dubai. It’s a 300-square metre tastefully decorated experiential outlet that delves into the sleep industry. Opie has been in the business of beautiful bed linen and innovative bedding from reputed European brands for over two decades.

Linen Obsession’s shelves are arranged by product type and colour rather than brand, making it simple for customers to shop and compare like for like, at the price point they prefer. For example, all white, cream or silver sheets are displayed together. The well-trained staff can explain the quality and price differences to customers.

The linen and bedding display has been complemented by the introduction of quality wellness, aromatherapy and home fragrance products, all designed to help customers to create an ideal environment for sleeping. Temperature regulating and anti-allergy pillows, mattress protectors and duvets complete the range.

Initially, Opie’s entrepreneurial journey started by selling a wide range of bedding and home linens on a wholesale basis to other retailers, then later through shop-inside-shop branded areas inside regional department stores.

Now, her company has 35 such outlets in the UAE and other Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, except Oman.

A sound sleep is key to wellness and productivity, which is the inspiration behind Linen Obsession, according to Opie.

“Quality sleep is crucial for our physical and mental wellbeing, and I know many people struggle to get at least seven hours, which is essential for health. We need to create the best possible conditions for a good night’s sleep, which is not simply about going to bed early.”

In 2018, she changed her business model to become an exclusive distributor of premium European brands, “purchasing the stock outright and supplying directly to retailers in the UAE and other GCC nations. This revolutionised our business model and set us up for 100 per cent growth within the following two years”. “My business grew very solidly during the Covid-19 pandemic, which out-performed the international trend,” she adds.

Linen Obsession has emerged as a one-stop destination for “sleep and wellness”, thanks to brands such as Christy England, Amalia, Velfont, Neom, This Works and Culti.

Linen Obsession is looking to expand quickly into other GCC countries. Because at the end of the day, happiness consists of getting enough sleep.

joydeep@khaleejtimes.comw


More news from KT Engage