Holland & Barrett opens 21st outlet in the UAE

British health retail concept Holland & Barrett, franchised in the UAE by Al Khayyat Investments, opened its 21st store in the emirates this week at Al Manar Mall in Ras Al Khaimah.

This expansion follows Holland & Barrett’s 20th outlet that opened in the new Ibn Battuta Mall extension only a few weeks ago. Many more new locations are planned, with another five stores expected to open before the end of Q3 this year.

Commenting on the brand’s expansion, Warren Muir, Holland & Barrett UAE brand manager, says, “We are very proud of what we have achieved in such a short space of time in the UAE. Managing growth is not always as easy as it sounds. Aside from sourcing and securing the best retail locations across the emirates, we have really focused our efforts on staff recruiting and training.”

Building trust is critical when it comes to health products and Holland & Barrett retail staff go through an extensive training programme to ensure that they fully understand the products they are selling and are well equipped to advise customers across a broad range of food, dietary supplements, natural remedies and beauty products.

“Sometimes it seems as if our staff spend more time on the school bank than they do in our stores, but the outcome of our training efforts are happier customers, and in the end that’s what generates more growth in our business,” Muir adds.

Holland & Barrett has a strong 1,000-store network across the UK, Ireland, China, Singapore, Spain, Malta, Cyprus, Gibraltar, the Netherlands and Belgium.