Unlock the Gateway to Middle Eastern Markets

6-Month Market Entry Projects Now Open!

Join us in 2024 with for our next cohort of market entry projects, designed to catapult your brand into the thriving landscapes of the Arabian Gulf . This isn’t just a service; it’s a strategic partnership crafted for long-term success.

Here’s a breakdown of how it works:

Our experts analyse the current landscape relevant to your product, providing competitor analysis and identifying lucrative opportunity gaps. But we don’t stop at desks; we’re on the ground, having face-to-face meetings for firsthand insights.

We’re not just about insights; we’re about action. Your product will make its grand entrance into appropriate  mainstream and niche grocery and pharmacy retail channels. Over the course of numerous meetings and market visits, we’ll showcase your range to influential retail buyers, health store chains, and  reputable, vetted distributors. Picture us in the hustle and bustle, making waves in person.

As the project concludes, we bring you into the fold. Expect a comprehensive debrief where we lay out our findings in intricate detail. Every valuable insight, every worthwhile interaction, meticulously presented for your understanding.

Armed with insights and initial opportunity seeking for your products, we don’t stop there. Our team crafts strategic recommendations for your brand’s next move in these dynamic markets. Your success isn’t just a goal; it’s a journey, and we’re here to guide you with every step.

Unrivalled Market Insights

Strategic Entry with On-Ground Presence

Tailored Approach for Your Success

Strategic Roadmap for Growth

Project Outline

Markets Overview

  • In-depth insights into retail players, market shares, and consumer trends

  • Unveiling strategies of different supply chain models and the delicate dance between brand and own label (if applicable)

  1. Retail Players: We unravel the complex web of retail players in the UAE, KSA, Kuwait, and Qatar. From industry giants to emerging contenders, we meticulously outline market dominators and up and coming challengers in this space ensuring you comprehend the landscape in its entirety and where you need to focus for best success.
  2. Market Shares: Gain clarity on the market shares that define the competitive arena and what would be the optimum route for your brand to take to enter the region.
  3. Consumer Trends: The heartbeat of any market lies in the hands of consumers. We provide a deep dive into prevalent consumer trends, from shifting preferences to evolving buying behaviours.
  4. Supply Models: Whether it’s the efficiency of established systems or the agility of emerging models, we lay out the options, helping you navigate the intricate supply chain landscape and how you can best enter these markets relative to their infrastructure and ways of working, overlaid with your own current capabilities.
  5. Brand vs. Own Label: For those organisations who manufacture and are open to offering private label to the region, we signpost you to those players actively seeking private label providers and help you to understand some of their specific needs and requirements. This allows you to decide if this route to market is indeed right for your business.

This comprehensive market overview sets the stage, ensuring you understand each market that you choose to have us delve into on your behalf.

Market and Competitive Analysis

  • Product category analysis

  • Retailer audits

  • Product benchmarking

Our market and competitive analysis goes beyond the surface, providing a holistic understanding of your product category. Here’s what this phase entails:

1. Market Dynamics: We scrutinise the market dynamics, identifying key trends, innovations, and consumer behaviours that shape the narrative.

2. Retailer Audits: Our meticulous approach extends to retailer audits within mainstream grocery and pharmacy major players. We don’t just aim for a pricing strategy; we aim for a strategy that stands out by understanding the requirements of each of these potential players and how working with them could play out in your value chain and overall strategy.

3. Comparable Products: We execute a review of comparable products currently available in the market. This step provides a real-world benchmark, helping define and/or refine your product’s unique value proposition relative to what is present in the target market (not just your domestic one)

4. Ranges and Opportunities: The spotlight is on your product range. Through a comprehensive assessment, we identify opportunities for supply and areas where your range can shine, whether that is from a product, channel, pricing or optimum partner perspective.

As we navigate the landscape of market and competition, our goal is not just to provide information but to unearth opportunities that set your brand on a trajectory of success

Opportunity analysis

  • Opportunities for new ranges to expand category proposition of retailers or via distributors

  • Opportunities to develop/tailor products to offer products where gaps identified in the market 

  • Initial review of your product mix relative to the market specific regulatory framework and registration requirements

  • Understanding your international pricing structure and potential value chain requirements

In this phase, we delve into opportunities that not only expand the category proposition of retailers and distributors but also strategically tailors your product range to address specific market gaps whilst also navigating any regulatory and registration hurdles:

1. Expanding Category Proposition: Through our  analysis, we identify avenues where your brand can introduce itself and in a way that aligns with the growing demand for health-conscious choices. This isn’t just about fitting into existing propositions; it’s about elevating and expanding them.

2. Tailoring Products for Market Gaps: Tailoring Products for Market Gaps: Our opportunity analysis goes beyond routine assessments, pinpointing specific gaps in the market. These gaps can become opportunities for your brand to shine by catering to unmet needs and / or emerging trends.

3. Engaging Stakeholders for Informed Decisions: We don’t operate in isolation. Engaging key stakeholders, including retail buyers, category managers, and distributors, we gather insights that form the foundation of informed decision-making and provide real-time feedback from highly valued potential customers.

4. Top line registration review: With the need for all products to be registered before they can be imported into the region, an understanding of what the regulatory pathway and classification will look like is crucial for success. We undertake an initial evaluation and raise any problematic issues around the product/ingredient and the requirement for any additional certifications or potential label changes.

5. Pricing for success: Ensuring your offered commercials will work with any potential partners (retailers, distributors, consolidators) in the target markets is a crucial factor when internationalising. In tandem via engagement with stakeholders we review and make recommendations that will optimise market acceptance of your pricing.

The opportunity analysis can become a dynamic roadmap, steering your brand toward not just responding to market needs but actively shaping them and understanding what needs to happen for optimum success.

Strategic routes to market

  • The optimal product lines for initial focus

  • Routes to market

  • Evaluation of options

  • Strategy advice

In the culminating phase of our collaborative journey, we steer your brand toward success with  strong strategic recommendations:

1. Product Focus: Identifying the optimal path to market success begins with a laser focus on product lines. We discern the best potential products within your range  tailored specifically for the current differing landscapes of each chosen target market

2. Crafting an Overall Strategy: We provide insightful advice on the comprehensive strategy required to effectively reach and captivate your targeted customers. This will include any recommendations to your offered your pricing structure in line with your chosen route to market.

3. Routes to Market: Not all routes are equal, and our recommendations go beyond the conventional. We guide you through the intricacies of various routes—be it through agents, consolidators, direct-to-retailer, or distributors. Each recommendation is crafted with a keen understanding of the market dynamics as well as your own organisation capabilities so that your brand navigates the chosen route with confidence and with the best chance of success.

4. Evaluation of Options: Our role is to sift through potential market entry choices, presenting you with the most viable strategic options. This ensures that the path chosen aligns the most appropriately  with your brand’s goals, your business’ values and the demands of the markets.

As we reach this pinnacle of our collaborative journey, these strategic recommendations become the compass guiding your brand toward success in the Arabian Gulf markets.

Your Investment

Embarking on a market entry journey with us requires an investment tailored to your brand’s unique needs. The cost is dynamic, contingent on your product mix, your product categories and the number of markets within the region that you wish us to work on.  This ensures  a flexible and customised approach.

1. Onboarding Commitment: Invest time for a comprehensive onboarding process. This is a collaborative effort where we delve into understanding your brand, its ethos, and the products you offer. Your commitment to this phase is instrumental in shaping our strategic approach.

2. Material and Product Provision: To present your brand effectively, provide us with all necessary materials, commercials and product samples. This ensures a compelling initial representation of your offerings in the Middle Eastern markets.

3. Trip Expenses Contribution: Your investment covers a portion of the expenses incurred during our immersive multiple trips across several Gulf countries during our period of working.  On-ground interactions and fostering relationships and market knowledge this way is essential for success in this part of the world.

4. Payment Structure: To facilitate a seamless partnership and manage costs on both sides, the investment is structured into three manageable instalments. This phased approach aligns with key milestones, ensuring transparency and a steady progression throughout the duration of our collaboration.

Consider this investment as more than a financial commitment – it’s a strategic step toward positioning your brand for success in the Middle East.

So join us on positioning your brand for success in the Middle East and beyond as some of the learnings during this journey will be applicable to other global markets too.

If you would like to get involved with the next round of projects in 2024, please fill out the form below and we will arrange a call to assess and discuss your suitability further.