British department store Debenhams has officially opened its first branch in Tripoli on Tuesday.
The store in the Siyahiya end of Gergarish had had its “soft opening” two weeks ago and was reported to be already doing good business.
It is owned and operated by the United Fashion Group, part of the Husny Bey [Husni Bey] group of companies, under licence from Debenhams Retail PLC. According to a report from Libya Herald, the group also owns franchises for Marks and Spencer, Mango, Next, Aldo and OVS.
The store was officially opened by Nick Baird, the Chief Executive of UKTI, who said:
“The opening of this store is a concrete example of UK-Libya partnerships ... It is one of the top UK department stores and brands ... It sends a message to British businesses that there is a market in Libya and that there are opportunities for a whole range of companies in a country that has opportunities to be pursued.”
Husny Bey, head of the United Fashions Group, said that opening the Debenhams store in Tripoli at this particular time sends a clear message to those who have wrongly labelled Libya as a “failed state”.
(Source: Libya Herald)
