Neocasa es su casa

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Bold plans reveal Al Aqili Furnishings’ confidence in the future

UAE: Al Aqili Furnishings used the occasion of last month’s CID Awards to unveil a host of new developments at the company.

In addition to new brand identities for its Carpetland, Curtainland, Officeland, Rugland and Belight divisions, Al Aqili Furnishings introduced Decoworld, a new retail concept aimed at bringing a full spectrum of furnishing solutions together in one location.

Decoworld will house over 40 brands. “Decoworld is about bringing everything under one roof; it’s a one stop shop, a designer’s paradise. People can go there for their wall to wall floor coverings, their fitted carpets and parké, their curtains, upholstery, lighting, design consultancy and so on,” said Shahriar Khodjasteh, group marketing director of Al Aqili Furnishings. 

While the company has always been very strong in the flooring segment, it is a relative newcomer in some other industry areas, Khodjasteh noted. The launch of Decoworld is a strategic move that will enable it to strengthen and consolidate its standing in those spaces. “When we started our business, for the first seven years, we were completely focused on flooring. We only really diversified into areas such as lighting, furniture, fabrics and office furniture around four or five years ago, and we then became a full turnkey solution in terms of furnishings,” he said.

The Decoworld launch is also a mark of the company’s commitment to the market, even in times of trouble. “We’ve made commitments to retail space, so we are going to be taking more showrooms – we’re negotiating approximately 200,000ft² of space over the entire region.

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“Also, we have always been very focused on the UAE and even though we’ve done business throughout the GCC, we are today focused on further developing our partnerships in those other GCC markets. So, there are new markets, new product lines, more channels and more growth. Yes, there’s financial crisis but that doesn’t mean business is over,” Khodjasteh maintained.

The company is also all set to introduce its neocasa concept this month. “This will be a showcase of our work, of our products, of our stakeholders and of our key customers, which are the designers.

“We created this concept of providing an empty canvas – a residential space – to our key customers. The launch project, which is my loft, was handed over to Chris Barnes of Broadway Interiors and he designed the space using products from our 56 brands,” Khodjasteh explained.
  
The company partnered with leading industry names to supply products in areas where it is not active – Technogym for fitness equipment, Dubai Audio Centre and Loewe for audio-visual technology, and Porsche from Poggenpohl for kitchenware.

“We’ve taken on local suppliers who have become stakeholders in the concept. They’re very similar to us in their attention to detail and quality, and their service standards and so on. Neocasa is going to be shown on a web portal, which is great exposure for the brands involved. Potential customers, or people who just appreciate design, can go to www.neocasa.ae and access the interactive loft.”

The loft, which is located on the 40th floor of a Jumeirah Beach Residence tower, overlooking the marina, is the first of a series of planned neocasa projects.