DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — “Never before has our brand assortment been so global,” said Elizabeth von der Goltz, Net-a-porter’s global buying director, on a quick visit to Dubai. She said the e-tailer currently has 12 brands from the Middle East, 15 Danish brands, 17 Korean, nine Japanese and 43 from Australia.
“We are working to have a much more regional outlook,” she added.
“The fashion landscape is ever evolving. How people shop, how people find fashion and how people look at content is entirely different to how things were even three years ago,” she said. “We continue to scout brands from every corner of the world. As a global retailer not only is it important to be scouting from an industry perspective, but we also want to be tapping into our customer from around the world.”
While presenting the retailer’s key shopping edit for spring-summer 2020 here, she noted the importance of the Middle Eastern client. “The customer here is so tech-savvy. Over 60 percent buy on mobile, which is more than double the global average. It’s such a big opportunity.”
Eveningwear is the number-one-selling category in the region, followed by dresses in midi lengths, she said. Beachwear, particularly kaftans, are also very strong. She added, though, that there are always surprises. The ski edit, for instance, was highly appreciated. “The customer here travels a lot. It’s about following their lifestyle. The customer here moves very fast and latches onto new things quickly,” she said.