International retailer Giordano said it has adopted a new approach to the apparel world, re-evaluating product lines and focusing on the essentials range.

While business continues to grow at a steady rate and expansion plans continue, Giordano’s essentials product line, Giordano Junior and BSX presents strong growth opportunities.

During November, the Group experienced double digit growth across all brands; a clear indication that key markets are demonstrating signs of recovery.

Giordano Junior, the group’s children’s brand grew by more than ten per cent, not just for the month, but for the whole of 2009 to date. Giordano’s youth brand, BSX, exclusively available in Saudi Arabia, has also witnessed an excellent reception and will continue to be an area of expansion for the group, said a top official.

"The growth in these brands reflects consumer preference towards segmented clothing brands that cater to specific needs. The retail world has seen dramatic changes with consumer patterns changing rapidly," said Ishwar Chugani, executive director, Giordano Fashions.

"In times like this, a corporation needs to evaluate its stance, incorporating lessons learnt and investigating new business possibilities," he noted.

Chugani said the Middle East market was very dynamic and it gave the company flexibility to explore new avenues or even revisit past successes.

“Our new essentials range is a renewal of our strongest assets, our understanding of function and form, a selling point to customers who look for durability and quality,” he added.

Renowned for their quality, both in their products and services, Giordano’s 2009 strategy has helped them focus on the values that have served the brand well - Quality, Knowledge, Innovation, Service and Simplicity.

Earlier this year, Giordano was awarded Best Service Performance Brand by the Department of Economic Development in Dubai as part of the Dubai Service Excellence Scheme. “It is key not to compromise on service standards and maintaining a dialogue with customers. We believe that going that extra mile gives a brand the edge over the competition,” added Chugani.

"Despite the market, Giordano’s expansion plans in the Middle East are still moving onward. Having opened 21 stores during the year, the company’s presence in India continues to grow stronger adding seven stores and three shop-in-shops this year and a further five stores in the pipeline," he stated.

This year, Giordano also opened two more stores in Armenia and one more in Tbilisi, Georgia and plans are currently being finalized to open stores in Syria, Libya, Tunisia and Iraq. Giordano‘s first store in Damascus, Syria will open before the end of 2009.-TradeArabia News Service