Bloomingdale's Takes Aim at the Middle East

Expect to see many "Big Brown Bags" on the streets of Dubai.

Women's Wear Daily reports that Bloomingdale's will open its first two international stores there, a 146,000-square-foot apparel and accessories store, and a 54,000-square-foot home store. The outposts, scheduled to open in 2010, will anchor the massive Dubai Mall.

UAE's Al Tayer Group made the deal with Macy's, which owns Bloomingdales. Al Tayer's has franchise agreements in the Middle East with a number of luxury brands, including Gucci, Asprey, and Jimmy Choo. Its reach in the upscale world also extends to car companies like Jaguar, Ferrari, and Maserati.

High-end retailers are looking to expand into the Middle East as consumers in North America and Europe struggle through the economic crisis. Even the Maryland-based gourmet food retailer Balducci's plans to open stores across the Middle East, the first in Dubai this month.

The Dubai Mall, which opens in October, will be one of the main components of Downtown Burj Dubai a development project by Emaar that will also include a man-made lake and the world's tallest building, the Burj Dubai. The mall is expected to be the biggest shopping center in the world.

by Rafael Cohen