Giordano, a leading global casual apparel retailer, is introducing e-shopping via its website www.giordano-me.com this year.

The company is also strengthening its card less customer loyalty programme World Without Strangers (WWS), and reaching out to thousands of customers through various digital and social media channels like Facebook, Twitter, Blogs and YouTube, as part of its plans to enter e-tailing.

With a dual strategy to also invest in its physical presence in the region, Giordano has intensified upgrades of current stores and plan to open at least six more stores in 2011.

“We recognise the importance and the depth of the digital world as well as the phenomenal influence on consumer decision-making and that is why we want to ensure that Giordano maximises the potential of both the social media and digital world here in the Middle East,” said Ishwar Chugani, executive director, Giordano Fashions.

“Through YouTube, Twitter, our Giordano Blog and our Middle East Facebook page which currently has 29,000 fans and expected to grow to 50,000 by the end of this year, we now have direct and personal interactions with our customers on a daily basis.  For us, it is very important to know and understand what their thoughts are to enable us to provide the products and services they really want,” added Chugani.

Giordano is also making the move to e-shopping via its website www.giordano-me.com, later this year, allowing customers the convenience of purchasing their favorite Giordano items from the comfort of their own homes or offices.

While there will be a strong focus on both the digital media, Giordano will continue to upgrade existing stores and open new stores in both current and new markets. This year, Giordano has already completed the renovation of six stores in the region, opened five new stores in the UAE, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia and has also opened its first stores in Morocco and Iraq.

Giordano will also be entering the Sri Lankan market with the opening of its first store in Colombo this year.

To date, Giordano has over 190 stores in the region and at least 10 more stores are in the pipeline to open in the region before the end of the year.

Recently, Giordano’s Burjuman outlet was awarded 'Best Service Performing Outlet' in the Apparel Category by the Dubai Service Excellence Scheme for consistently maintaining good customer service standards throughout 2010.

Giordano has a global presence of over 2,200 stores.-TradeArabia News Service