Following a “soft” and relatively quiet opening at Dubai’s Mirdiff City Center in May, Marquee Brands, owner of the Martha Stewart IP, opened a second brick-and-mortar store at the Dubai Hills Mall earlier this month, according to WWD. A third location is slated to open at Mall of the Emirates later this summer.
Quoting Marquee Brands officials, WWD reported that additional stores will be rolled out in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and India, but the specific timing has yet to be determined. Apparel Group is licensed to operate Martha Stewart stores in the six countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council, which also includes the UAE (home of Dubai), Qatar, Bahrain and Oman, plus India.
The stores, which are 2,000 to 2,500 square feet in size, are dominated by Martha Stewart merchandise, including cookware, utensils, serveware, barware and dining accessories, plus bedding and bath items. The assortments also include a home fragrance line of candles, diffusers and room sprays.
“We’ve created a beautifully designed space filled with products that I personally love and use,” said Stewart in a statement provided to WWD. “I think customers will find inspiration and plenty of practical ideas for making their homes more beautiful, comfortable and functional.”
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In January 2025 Marquee Brands added Laura Ashley to its portfolio of consumer brands, which includes Destination Maternity, Sur La Table, BCBG and Dakine. In March 2024 Martha Stewart collaborated with Tractor Supply to promote her Garden Apparel line.
“Dubai and the Middle East now have become really the retail capital of the world,” said Marquee Brands CEO Heath Golden in the WWD report. “I used to always say it’s so important when you’re trying to build brands to be on the shelves in Paris. And today I’d say merchants from around the world spend more time looking at retail in the Middle East than they do in Paris. So strategically for us, it’s a big unlock. We are very data-driven, and the data showed us that Martha Stewart is a really compelling, sought-after brand there. So all the stars aligned for us with a great partner.”
