DUBAI — In the shadow of the world’s tallest building, Bloomingdale’s swung open its doors for the first time on foreign soil with a lavish party Sunday night drawing Dubai royalty, fashion and retail executives and socialites.
With separate fashion and home stores, Bloomingdale’s is now the newest anchor in the massive Dubai Mall, and nestled right below the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world, which opened last month.
His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the son of Dubai’s ruler, Sheikh Mohammed, officially launched the store with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. As guests entered, they were given tiles to personalize and place on a wall near the entrance to commemorate the occasion.
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“The idea was to bring the best of America here to Dubai,” said Shireen Al Khatib, chief executive officer of Al Tayer Insignia, which is operating the two Bloomingdale’s stores under a license agreement.
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Six guests walked away with 10,000 dirham, or $2,700, in shopping vouchers. One of the winners, Tehzeeb Ahmed, echoed many of the guests’ sentiments when she said the store was beyond expectations. “We’ve been waiting for the arrival of Bloomie’s in Dubai for a long time, and I think most of us are in awe of the magnitude of the store,” she said. Michael Gould, Bloomingdale’s chairman and ceo, ushered guests on a tour of the three-level fashion department store, stressing that what differentiates Bloomingdale’s from many other upscale stores in Dubai’s booming retail industry is its service.
“Let’s be honest. There are other places to buy things like cosmetics within minutes of here, but what we offer here is a sense of intimacy,” he said, while pointing out that each cosmetics counter has a private treatment and makeup room providing privacy for customers. “Bloomingdale’s is about an energy and approachability. The experience you have in Manhattan is what you will have in Dubai.”
That includes treats from Magnolia Bakery, which has been re-created inside the Bloomingdale’s home store. Aside from sampling cupcakes and banana pudding, guests were treated to dishes from Bloomingdale’s Forty Carrots restaurant. “If you don’t like the carrot soup…well, don’t break my heart,” said Gould with a smile. He later revealed it’s a recipe from his late mother.
Gould called the opening of the Dubai store “serendipitous,” and credited Marvin Traub, industry consultant and former Bloomingdale’s chairman, with the notion of bringing the retailer to Dubai. “We weren’t looking to do a store outside the U.S. Marvin called one day and said, ‘I have an idea for you.’ We met Al Tayer and I instantaneously felt it was right.”
“Having spent 41 years at Bloomingdale’s, to see a Bloomingdale’s re-created in this environment, in this part of the world, is enormously satisfying,” said Traub. “It’s the single thing I’ve most enjoyed in my second career.”
Others in the crowd included Tracy Stern, founder of Salon Tea, which has a shop in Bloomingdale’s Dubai; Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, the chairman and ceo of Emirates Airline and Group; Tony Spring, president of Bloomingdale’s; Jack Hruska, Bloomingdale’s executive vice president of creative services, and Tina Bhojwani, senior vice president of Theory, which introduced an exclusive T-shirt for its Bloomingdale’s Dubai shop. The shirt, designed by artist Christopher Suave, has a sketch of the 59th Street flagship and the words, “From New York to Dubai, Theory [hearts] Bloomie’s.”
“They’ve emulated 59th Street,” observed Bhojwani. “You feel the New York energy and excitement.”