Nature Republic enters Saudi Arabia

By Natasha Spencer

- Last updated on GMT

Nature Republic enters Saudi Arabia
The South Korean cosmetics company has made the move into Saudi Arabia as part of its wider expansion plans.

With its strapline, ‘a sense of the beginning’, Nature Republic has marked a new beginning by entering into its new marketplace and opening its first cosmetics store in the country.

As part of its broader strategic aim, the company hopes to build its brand identity and presence in the Middle East Market, Korean publication pulse reports​.

The strategy behind the launch

Opening in Al Nakheel Mall, a large shopping mall in the country’s capital, Riyadh, the company has positioned itself as a leading overseas naturals name. It selected the strategic and highly-populated location to introduce itself to new consumers.

Nature Republic has reportedly entered into a partnership agreement with retailer Fawaz Alhokair Group, which operates the mall, as it plans to add four more stores to its Saudi Arabia-based portfolio by the end of the year.

Following Indonesia’s example

Following the opening of its store​ in Jakarta, Indonesia, in January 2018 — once again selecting a new market’s capital as its entry point — the South Korean name now has a store count of 18.

At the start of the year, Nature Republic announced its intention to focus its expansion efforts on both Indonesia and the Middle East, with plans to open ten stores in 2018 in the two Asian markets.

Looking at its long-term goals and highlighting how this move was a case of when rather than if, Ho-hwan Ho, CEO of Nature Republic, stated that Nature Republic “will expand to the Middle East and Europe and diversify overseas markets”.

After two years of market research to gain an understanding of what Saudi Arabia consumers seek from a natural cosmetics product range, Nature Republic is said to have tested and explored its product range's popularity in the months directly after its launch in Indonesia.

Its next big entry

Having finished the registration of 650 cosmetics goods using an electronic communication system, the company will now gear itself up for its further growth opportunities in the country and the wider Middle Eastern area.

Along with its expansion into other major cities in Saudi Arabia, Nature Republic plans to enhance its brand awareness by entering into Gulf Cooperation Council countries that have high disposable incomes.

In terms of its market expansion plans, Nature Republic hopes it can “set a bridgehead for the Middle East and other Muslim markets”.

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