BFL is short for “Brands for less,” and it was founded in 1996 by co-founders Toufic Kreidieh and Yasser Beydoun in a desire to challenge the traditional retail environment for greater qualities available at reduced prices. BFL Group was initially founded under the initiative to make brand-name products accessible to everyone. Its first store was opened back in 2006. This move paved the way for a long journey that would transform BFL Group from a local discount store to an international retail powerhouse.

Headquartered in Techno Park, Dubai, UAE, BFL Group has played a significant role in the development of the retailing industry in the region. It was positioned in the emirate city of Dubai as a group’s head office in 2000, well set to grab the quick growth and other economic development opportunities in Dubai. Innovative approach and determination to provide affordable products to the consumers over the years helped it expand into a wide range of categories of fashion, home decor, toys, among others. The success story of BFL Group marks the high-profile ambitious growth and international expansion. Today, BFL Group operates over 74 stores in six countries starting from the UAE and Oman and then into Spain and Malta. The aggressive expansion at a large scale can be attributed to the group’s commitment towards providing affordable branded products to a wider audience with a promise of quality and variety for the customers.

In addition to the flagship “Brands for Less” stores, the company diversified its offerings with other brands such as “Homes For Less,” “Toys For Less,” “Mumuso,” and “Tchibo.” Its diversified portfolio enabled BFL to reach a variety of customer needs, from housewares and toys to lifestyle products, through which they could build a loyal customer base in multiple markets. Expansion of the brand into Europe was, however, a major milestone to the company since it reflected the adaptation nature of BFL Group into different markets and helped fill needs across various groups of customers. Expansion of operations to Spain and Malta is where BFL Group proved its position as a global retailer that could do more than just succeed within its home base in the Middle East.

The secret to success for BFL Group is maintaining the affordability, varieties, and quality. As a discount retailer, the company sought to make available to all budgets the most known brands in the market. Stores of BFL Group are varied items, including clothing, sportswear, toys, kitchen ware, and home decoration. The business model of the company is unique since it sells branded products at a small fraction of their original prices. This occurs because BFL Group strategically partners with manufacturers, wholesalers, and other suppliers of branded products so as to acquire them at reduced costs. This again allows the savings to be passed down to customers since it is now possible for them to buy high-quality branded products at costs most competitive.

In particular, through a customer-centric approach, BFL Group has managed to understand its customers’ preferences and adapt those products offered in the market accordingly. Such an approach helped the company maintain its presence and stay competitive within the changing retail environment. The company’s focus on keeping the customer satisfied has not only kept a following of loyal customers but also led to success within the competitive marketplace.

Also, expansion led to the development of various sub-brands targeting specific market areas. The “Homes For Less” outlets offer home furnishings and decorations at low cost for those wishing to have stunning homes not requiring a hole in their pocket. “Toys For Less” caters to family needs with plenty of toys and children’s products at realistic costs. Another successful brand featured in the BFL Group portfolio is “Mumuso,” a lifestyle goods retailer selling goods at reasonable prices, set between affordability and quality, targeting the young fashion-conscious market. The group also joined an alliance with “Tchibo, a well-known German retailer who peddled their wares, ranging from clothing and clothing accessories to kitchen and dining utensils. This would facilitate BFL Group to provide more varieties of merchandise subject to customer demand.

BFL Group has, to date, established itself as the forerunner in the market of discount retailers, not only in the UAE but across the broader Middle East and Europe. The company is now aggressively pursuing opportunity for growth and innovation in response to a more competitive edge in its focus on customer value. With a portfolio of brands growing and with a strengthened presence in major cities, BFL Group is on course to preserve its success story in the retail market. The retail business is ever-changing in character. 

The BFL Group proves these elements of resilience and adaptability to embrace new patterns and trends in the market and preferences of consumers. By throwing its focus into affordability, quality, and variety, BFL Group will not only stay ahead of its peers at discount retailing but develop a shopping experience to woo consumers through all walks of life.

Bayut has grown rapidly and become one of the most trusted property classifieds websites in the United Arab Emirates, part of the Dubizzle Group that is recognized as the first homegrown unicorn in the Arab region, transforming the real estate market with its innovative approach. The company was founded back in 2008 by the visionary brothers Imran and Zeeshan Ali Khan and Bayut is a seamless platform to property seekers. Bayut offers exhaustive listings and data-driven insights to property seekers. Here’s a journey of Bayut and how it has contributed to shaping the landscape of real estate in the UAE.

Bayut was founded in 2008 by Imran Ali Khan and Zeeshan Ali Khan, the two brothers who changed the face of the UAE property market by initiating the property revolution in the UAE. Having found great success with the portal in Pakistan, Zameen.com’s founders decided to bring their expertise to the United Arab Emirates. They launched Bayut, a concept still relatively new to the region, hoping to give more transparent, reliable, and user-friendly property listings. Since its inception, the website aimed to deliver the most intuitively easy property search experience for the buyer, the renter, and the investor. Users can now easily browse residential, commercial, and off-plan properties across all emirates from Bayut’s listings. Its professional photographs along with accurate data make listings comprehensive, thus enabling users to have all the information needed to make a decision.

In 2014, Haider Ali Khan came to Bayut as the CEO, bringing along with him vast experiences of the United States. In Haider’s tenure, Bayut had experienced a milestone as he brought growth strategies through the utilization of data and technology and customer-centric solutions. He envisioned that Bayut should be the leading source of real estate in the UAE market and indeed managed to expand this presence significantly in the market. Beyond Bayut, Haider Ali Khan also contributed to the overall action of the UAE’s real estate market. He was the chief executive officer of Dubizzle, the largest online classifieds website in the UAE, as well as the leader of the bigger Dubizzle Group across the MENA region. Under his leadership, Bayut and Dubizzle became significant digital players in the UAE capable of offering a complete solution for property buying and selling, as well as renting.

Parent company of Bayut, the Emerging Markets Property Group which is now referred to as the Dubizzle Group, declared a merger with Netherlands-based OLX Group in April 2020. The operations merged from a total of operations in several countries, including the UAE, Egypt, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Pakistan, and Oman. It also included the consolidation of OLX-owned Dubai-based classifieds website, Dubizzle. The strategic merger which Bayut did was a major milestone in the company’s journey since it emerged expanded and better reached out through a more comprehensive and diverse number of listings across the region. Also following the merger, shared technology, resources, and data capabilities also ensued thus helping Bayut provide its users with an even better experience.

Bayut has managed to stay in that long run of top list with its fantastic achievement in January 2022, when the real estate company signed a memorandum of understanding with the Dubai Land Department. This same deal is to be confirmed, which will provide a real estate market with interactive data and reports, thereby making the property buying and selling process a transparent and informed one for both parties. The collaboration with the Dubai Land Department proved that Bayut strongly believed in the cause of creating a more informed real estate ecosystem. This potential to significantly assist the buyers, sellers, and investors in finding out everything they could about the prevailing trends in the market, prices of property, and emerging opportunities in Dubai through the interactive data and reports generated during this partnership was impressive.

Bayut stands ahead of the competition with its relentless pursuit of providing a seamless, easy-to-use experience. The Bayut website allows for advanced search filters, interactive maps, and details descriptions of the properties. This makes it easy to have the right perspective on finding exactly what is needed. It may range from a family villa in Dubai, a studio apartment in Abu Dhabi, or a commercial property in Sharjah. More importantly, Bayut is innovative as it is in terms of the incorporation of technology to drive user experience. Virtual tours and video walkthroughs, together with detailed floor plans, afford prospects a first-hand look at the properties all from the comfort of their home. Innovation has, therefore, been a critical imperative for Bayut that has helped it stay ahead of the game and still remain one of the prime property sites in the UAE.

Bayut is a subsidiary of the Dubizzle Group, formerly known as Emerging Markets Property Group. The Dubizzle Group is the first homegrown unicorn in the Arab region. This aspect represents the success that the group has achieved in dominating the online classifieds and real estate markets across the Middle East and North Africa. Bayut being part of the Dubizzle Group, is given a considerable amount of resources and expertise with access to the market as well. This enables Bayut to effectively improve its platform with respect to its constant aim toward getting at the top of the classifieds property industry. The excellence and innovation shown by the Dubizzle Group regarding its vision match Bayut’s ideal in producing a clear, efficient, and user-centric property marketplace.

Babyshop was first created by Mukesh Jagtiani in Bahrain in 1973, since then it has become a children’s retail brand that has gained an exceptional reputation. The stores became a rage very fast because of the availability of such wide ranges of products all under one roof for children from 0 to 16 years of age. From apparels, toys to strollers and car seats, the store started becoming a household name for parents searching for brands like Barbie, Disney, Philips AVENT, and Fisher-Price.

By opening the first store in the UAE in 1990 and setting up a store in Sharjah, the brand took its first giant stride. This marked the initial stage of Babyshop’s expansion into the Middle East, where it was gradually spreading across the region and beyond. Today, the company boasts more than 235 stores across 19 countries, making it a giant in the children’s retail space.

In 2005, Babyshop focused intensely on child safety, an area that would become much of the focus for the brand in the near future. Emphasizing how parents require more than just clothes and toys, the company shifted its attention to child safety awareness in all the environments but especially while traveling. The best campaign conducted by the company was the “Child Safety First” awareness campaign launched in collaboration with the Roads and Transport Authority of Dubai in 2011. The campaign was a child safety seat usage awareness activity, done for three months. Babyshop assisted in fitting child seats in cabs all over Dubai. The customers were educated as well as provided with a practical solution through baby shop. This, therefore was a sharp reflection of the commitment shown by Babyshop towards child well-being and goes beyond just the aspects of mere retail to drive change.

In 2012, Babyshop further deepened its role as the voice of child safety by joining forces with a survey carried out by AC Nielsen to explore parental concerns with the issue. The findings from this survey led Babyshop to host roadshows during which the brand presented to families about their importance in ensuring child safety while on vehicles. This was instrumental in cementing Babyshop as a brand that genuinely cares for the welfare of its customers.

Though Babyshop is still a group company famous for its widespread number of physical outlets, the company embraced the digital revolution as a way to enhance its customer experience. In November 2016, Babyshop launched its e-commerce platform and mobile app with the possibility for customers to shop from anywhere with internet connectivity. Today, Babyshop’s online store serves approximately 20,000 items, putting at the fingertips of customers enormous children’s products. The Babyshop application is available on iOS as well as Android, making shopping easier and quicker for busy parents. Features of the app include easy navigation, quick checkout, and accessing great deals exclusively. It has become an essential tool for the modern parent.

Child safety and parental support do not end when it’s about products and campaigns for Babyshop. In 2015, the company published the book Mom’s Little Secret, a baby advice book for expectant mothers and helpful tips to guide parents in the baby’s first few years. The company received contributions from 27 experts and more than 40 insightful articles in making the book one quick resource to many of its readers. Useful advice has been the way of life that Babyshop has been adhering to, just in a bid to hold its core customer group-parents seeking reliable resources plus helpful guides. Over the years, Babyshop’s ever-changing nature made it relevant in the challenging and changing market. Today, from its small beginnings in Bahrain to being today’s children retail power house, Babyshop happens to thrive based on many approaches regarded as customer-centric. Whether it is high-quality goods, care in ensuring the protection of children, or advice in raising a child, it has dedicated itself to providing the best possible service with the utmost care and responsibility for families.

Long-term relationships with companies like Chicco, Lego, and Joie also depict the care taken to offer the best to the little ones and their parents. Babyshop allows the hassle-free buying of newborn basics or teen apparel through both in-store and online shopping.