There’s a new e-commerce site in town…
A new online store has just launched in time for your Christmas shopping, and it looks set to shake up the region’s e-commerce landscape.
Ounass.com is the brainchild of Al Tayer Insignia, and the luxury e-shopping platform is opening for business today in the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
Offering a range of curated collections from iconic designers around the world, the site is taking on heavyweights like Net-A-Porter, but with a local twist.
The site comes in two languages – English and Arabic – and while it sells international products, customers will get super-speedy delivery.
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Those in Dubai can get their parcels sent for free within two hours, customers elsewhere in the UAE will get them that day, and those further afield will receive their purchases within 48 hours.
Customers can also pay on delivery if they want, and Ounass can send a personal stylist to your house to help you narrow down your new wardrobe.
So what can you expect to find online?
Well, this definitely isn’t your last-week-before-pay-day kind of site – brands stocked include Gucci, Valentino, Monique Lhuillier and Alexander McQueen, although there’s also mid-level and contemporary designers like Self-Portrait, Acne and Zimmermann.
Categories include womenswear, accessories, jewellery, swimwear, shoes, homewares and beauty, and products have been cherrypicked from collection specifically for the region. Some labels – such as Roland Mouret, Rami Al Ali and Peter Pilotto – will even create exclusive capsule collections for the site.
While it currently just serves the three aforementioned countries, there are plans to expand wider into the GCC.
And it’s not the only big online shopping launch…
Ounass’ grand unveiling comes just weeks after news of another luxury e-commerce venture set to hit our shores.
Last month giant fashion retailer Yoox Net-A-Porter inked a deal with Dubai businessman Mohamed Alabbar’s Symphony Investments to“create the leading online luxury retailer in the Middle East”.
The deal promises to “integrate YNAP’s world-class brands” (of which it has Tom Ford, Gucci, Prada, Balmain and hundreds more) with Alabbar’s local expertise – targeting customers in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman.
The venture will see the launch of a Dubai distribution centre, meaning premier same-day delivery will definitely be happening (YNAP CEO Federico Marchetti hinted as much last month).
There will also be Dubai-based customer care teams, and offerings specifically for Arabic customers, including online content in their own tongue and the ability to pay in dirhams.
The Dubai office and warehouse is slated to open by the end of 2017, local versions of Yoox and the Outnet will debut in 2018, while Net-a-Porter and Mr Porter will launch in 2019.
Images: Supplied
