Indian eCommerce company YourLibaas has announced expansion into the United Arab Emirates, partnering with major Pakistani ethnic designer brands. The firm has planned market entry through an omnichannel marketing campaign to compete against the ethnic segment currently dominated by online marketplaces Noon and Namshi.
On the international expansion, Khalid Raza Khan, CEO, YourLibaas, said, “Many people initially got interested in designer lawn suits through Pakistani serials. Pakistani suits were a rare commodity back then as the demand was not high enough for imports to be profitable. We are setting up an international base in the UAE to streamline operations.”
YourLibaas was founded in 2014 in New Delhi by Akram Tariq Khan and Khalid Raza Khan when India discontinued ‘Aalishan Pakistan,’ an annual fair, inviting Pakistani nationals to showcase their latest lawn designer collections. “We had the vision to bridge the gap across nations and act as a tool promoting cultural exchange.”, says cofounder Akram Tariq Khan.
The company faced issues with procurement and supply chain, which acted as a catalyst to shift operations to the UAE to streamline the procurement directly from the manufacturers ensuring supply chain transparency. Customers are unsure of the apparel’s authenticity as Surat manufacturers make replica copies, a significant issue in the highly fragmented market – and a transparent supply chain shall act as the company’s unique value proposition.
YourLibaas also uses a Customer Data Platform to personalize the customer’s shopping experience and has attributed technology to its success. “This year, we have acquired over 30k new customers, a 40% increase from 22k new in 2019. 40% of our orders in the last quarter were International, with customers primarily located within the MENA region, USA, UK, Australia, and Canada. Regions with a significant population of the Pakistani and Indian diaspora. Due to a global base of customers, YourLibaas has its operations to UAE.,” added Akram.
The company is currently working on strengthening the brand’s market position as a leader in women’s ethnic wear, internationally expanding existing categories with the primary focus upon designer salwar suits. By the next financial year, the YourLibaas team targets six-fold growth with plans to expand into offline retail within the UAE, exploring omnichannel commerce.
