Pakistanis living in London may have already spotted large hoardings at two of the city’s major malls, Westfield Stratford City and Westfield London, bearing witness to the fact that the much-loved local brand Khaadi will soon be opening in UK’s capital. While there is no exact date yet, it is expected to open around December 13, well in time for Christmas shopping.
According to CEO Rehan Syed, Khaadi’s first choice for an international location was the UAE as it was closer to home, but seeing the huge Indian and Pakistani community in the UK, it felt like the right step to take. However, it is not just the desi community, but the British one at large that they want to target.
“When you go international, you need to cater to international requirements. We will keep the more ethnic, Pakistani stuff but we will also have fusion clothing,” he said.
Another factor that proves it is not just the South Asian diaspora that is being targeted is the fact that Khaadi decided not to focus on desi-central areas like Green Street, where it would have been cheaper to open a store. Instead, it went to big malls that cater to a wider market.
Khaadi already plans to open more outlets in London in the future. “We are not doing this on an ad-hoc basis, we have done our research and identified the right partners and are definitely looking at more than two stores,” said Syed. He also added that he is very excited about the initial response received on Facebook over the news of stores opening in London, saying that it is encouraging and makes him confident of the stores’ success.
According to Eloise Berry, the HR Manager for Khaadi International, they have strived to keep the branding similar so that “you know you’ve walked into a Khaadi store… It should be the same experience.”
Khaadi is also opening a store at the Pavilion in Kuala Lumpur’s on November 29.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 27th, 2013.
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