Page 3 - December 2021 / January 2022

contents
SPECIAL FEATURES
22
Cover Story
For U.S. Polo Assn., the official brand of the United 18
States Polo Association, the connection between the
brand and the sport of polo runs deep.
Editor’s
Foreword
Another year has come and
gone in the blink of an eye. To
round out 2021 here at RLI
we present our December 20
2021/January 2022 edition with all the news, views
and interviews that you will need to see in the New
Year. We wish you all a fantastic festive season and
we look forward to reconnecting more in-person in
2022.
Till next year…
James Quinn
Editor
Publisher’s 24
Comment
As you read this I will no
doubt be in the thick of this year’s
much awaited MAPIC event in sunny
Cannes, getting back to business, catching up with
the industry and making game-changing connections,
then it’s off to Dubai for the Retail Congress MENA
Event taking place in Dubai, 6-7 December, I cannot
wait to finally meet up with friends and colleagues 26
that I haven’t seen in almost twenty months, not that
I’m counting.
As RLI looks to take its highly coveted events RLI
Connect Global & the prestigious Global RLI Awards
back to the Middle East next year, my visit is a timely
and perfect opportunity to explore new markets and
potential collaborations. Where will we go? All will
be revealed soon.
In this month’s Cover Story we feature U.S.
Polo Assn., the official brand of the United States
Polo Association (USPA), to discover why global 28
growth, future innovation and experiential retail
remain a key focus for this multi-billion-dollar global,
sport-inspired brand. Moving on we take a look at
Wishibam, a leader for physical points of sale and REGULARS
how their technological solutions are making them
stand out from the crowd. Last month we featured 04 RLI MEETS - ANNA
one of the world’s fastest growing franchises BLACKBURN
Wingstop and this month we delve deeper as they
set their sights on a Middle East expansion. 06 UK NEWS
As this is our last issue before the festive season
I would like to wish you all a wonderful Christmas 08 INTERNATIONAL NEWS
and as the New Year approaches RLI will once again
open a new book, its pages are blank, the book is 10 AMERICAS NEWS
called Opportunity and its first chapter is New
Year’s Day… Wishing you all a prosperous 2022! 12 MIDDLE EAST NEWS
See you on my travels! 14 ASIA NEWS
30 PROFILE - TECHNOLOGY
- WISHIBAM
Publisher
© Paramount Publications Ltd. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or
mechanical, without the consent of the publisher. While every effort is made to ensure accuracy, the publishers do not accept liability for
error, printing or otherwise, appearing within this publication. The views expressed are not necessarily those of the editor or publisher.
DECEMBER 2021 / JANUARY 2022
16 SIMPLICITY IN DESIGN, QUALITY IN
SUBSTANCE
Established forty years ago, Giordano is one of the most
well established apparel retailers in the Asia-Pacific
region and continues to grow across multiple countries.
18 PASSION FOR PRODUCT
The Dune Group story began in 1895 and today the
Dune London brand has grown from a concession in a
fashion store to a global powerhouse in the footwear
sector.
20 MAKING UNFORGETTABLE
EXPERIENCES
The mission of Baglioni Hotels & Resorts is to provide
guests with a hotel stay unlike anything they’ve had
before through Italian style and uncompromising
comfort.
24 THE HEART OF OSLO
The Steen & Strøm department store has gathered
the best of continental shopping, collating well-known
brands and designers across six floors in one location.
26 FOCUSED ON QUALITY
Founded by Des Gunewardena and David Loewi (the
eponymous D and D) in 2006, the last 15 years has seen
D&D London grow to become a vital player in London.
28 CENTRED AROUND COMMUNITY
Iconic entertainment retailer hmv has recently
celebrated its 100th birthday and continues to discover
amazing new content every single day.
44 VOYAGER - MENA
Bringing About A New Era
As the area continues to stride forward in its pursuit
of ambitious mega-cities and urban developments post-
Covid-19, the Middle East is once again right at the
forefront of the industry thanks to the Expo 2020 event
in Dubai and as the region moves gradually towards its
Saudi Vision 2030.
54 SPECIAL FEATURE - IMMERSIVE
ATTRACTIONS & EXPERIENCES
Captivating A Global Audience
As Covid-19 continues to shape visitor attractions and
experiences across the world, the future continues to
look positive and operators are moving forward with an
optimistic attitude.
32 MARK FAITHFULL
34 RETAIL INSIGHT - TOBIAS NANDA
36 INDUSTRY INSIGHT -
RICHARD HURD-WOOD
37 DESIGN GALLERY
38 LEISURE INSIGHT - SUE
SHEPHERD
39 FIT-OUT GALLERY
58 EVENTS PAGE