Malaysia’s Naelofar Hijab popping up in London next month, eyes stores in UAE, Turkey

Photo: Naelofar Hijab's Noor Neelofa Mohd Noor and Noor Nabila at the company's Eid 2016 collection runway show / Courtesy Naelofar Hijab

KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysia’s Naelofar Hijab, which made around 50 million ringgit ($12.5 million) in sales within its first year in the market last year, is on an expansion drive to open a store in United Arab Emirates and Turkey by the first quarter of 2017, its director Noor Neelofa Mohd Nor told Salaam Gateway.

By the end of September this year, the company will have its first overseas pop-up store in upmarket Chelsea in London, hosted by UK-based Haute Elan. The headscarves will also be available on Haute Elan’s e-commerce site.

With its foray into the international market, owner and operator of Naelofar Hijab, NH Prima International Sdn Bhd, hopes to grow its foreign revenues to 15 million ringgit next year, which is three times its current contribution, said Mohd Nor.

Last year, orders coming through its online store from Australia, Brunei, Singapore, UK, U.S., and Middle Eastern countries earned the company around 5 million ringgit in sales, according to Mohd Nor.

“We are working closely with MATRADE (Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation) under its Mid-Tier Companies Development Program (MTCDP) in business matchmaking and to tie-up with leading e-commerce platforms in respective countries as their vendors to assist us in our expansion plans,” said Mohd Nor.

The MTCDP is a program to help accelerate the export growth of Malaysia companies with an annual revenue of more than 20 million ringgit. It is led by MATRADE, Malaysia’s national trade promotion agency.

($1 = 3.98 Malaysian ringgit)

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