Charming Charlie expands to Middle East
Houston-based accessories retailer Charming Charlie has partnered with a Dubai fashion conglomerate to open its first location outside of North America.
Charming Charlie will open two stores at City Centre Mirdif and Ibn Battuta Mall in Dubai this year. The stores will be operated by the international licensing partner Apparel Group.
The new storefronts are part of the business’ plan to aggressively expand both domestically and internationally in 2015.
The company, that started out as a single-floor retail space below the family business in 2004, said in November that it expects to open 55 new stores in 2015.
That month, the company opened its first stores outside of the U.S. in Ontario, Canada. Two additional stores in British Columbia, Canada, are also scheduled to open
Charming Charlie operates 350 stores in the U.S., Canada and now the Middle East. In 2013, Forbes estimated that the company was valued at $1 billion.
In 2012, founder and CEO Charlie Chanaratsopon told the Houston Business Journal that he was confident the company could operate as many as 1,000 stores.
Originally Posted: https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/morning_call/2015/07/charming-charlie-expands-to-middle-east.html
