NEW YORK–Bloomingdale’s will make its international debut with the opening of a store in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, in February 2010.
The store is part of a strategic partnership with Al Tayer Group LLC, a UAE-based company.
A Bloomingdale’s 54,000-square-foot home store, as well as a 146,000-square-foot, three-level apparel store, will anchor the Dubai Mall, which is expected to be one of the world’s largest shopping centers when it’s completed late this year, Macy’s, Bloomingdale’s parent company, said in a statement. The stores also marks Macy’s overseas debut.
They will be similar to Bloomingdale’s U.S. units but will also reflect local preferences and customs.
“Dubai offers a unique opportunity for Bloomingdale’s,” said Terry Lundgren, Macy’s chairman and chief executive, in the statement. “It is a fast-growing, affluent marketplace that has emerged as an international destination for tourism, sporting events and business.”
The stores will be managed and operated by Al Tayer Insignia, a division of Al Tayer Group, under a licensing agreement. Al Tayer Group was represented in the deal by Marvin Traub Associates. Marvin Traub is Bloomingdale’s former CEO.
Michael Steinberg, the former CEO of Macy’s West, provided strategic guidance to Macy’s.