Selma Roth
Saudi Gazette
JEDDAH – Pottery Barn Kids and West Elm, two large home furnishing retailers operated by Alshaya International Trading Co., were opened Thursday on Jeddah’s Tahlia Street. The inauguration was attended by the VP of West Elm in the US, who gave a brief speech before Estephan Sukkar, West Elm store manager in Jeddah, officially cut the ribbon.
The launch marked the first opening of a West Elm franchise retail store in the Kingdom and the fourth in the Middle East, following store launches in Kuwait, Dubai, and Lebanon, all within less than a year. Additional stores are likely to be opened in the near future in Riyadh and Alkhobar, Alshaya announced.
Originating in Brooklyn, New York, in 2002, West Elm is one of the youngest furnishing companies in the world and has been a major success in the United States, Canada, and Australia.
Sukkar said he was convinced the store would become a favorite in the Kingdom as well, because “Saudi people are interested in things that are unique”. Alshaya had decided to open both stores in one building to ensure a pleasant shopping experience for the whole family, as West Elm does not offer a separate collection for children, he added. The handmade accessories on sale are exclusively made for West Elm and come from all over the world, while its furniture comes from Williams Sonoma, a high-end consumer retail company that also supplies to Pottery Barn and Pottery Barn Kids.
The two-level store is characterized by its green wall covered with plants that represents the brand’s clean and natural product range of contemporary-modern products. While green and other natural hues dominate the store, the brand’s in-house team of designers creates a collection that changes with every season, ensuring that customers find new accessories every time they visit West Elm.
A special service is the free design consultation the company offers at the customer’s home or in the store as well as the monogram shop to personalize cushions, towels, bed linen, and other products.
