World’s largest small appliances maker Groupe Seb sees bright scope in MENA region

Groupe Seb, internationally renowned for its Krups, Moulinex, Rowenta and Tefal brands, is tactically positioning itself to further expand its reach in the Middle East, Near East, Africa and Dom-Tom regions.

A global leader in domestic appliances, and the world’s largest small appliances’ manufacturer, Groupe Seb’s products are sold in more than 120 countries worldwide.

Rodolphe Lavoise, Export Development Director of Groupe Seb said: “We are looking at the MENA and neighboring regional markets to enhance our already well-established presence by further increasing the market share for our products.

He noted that Dubai offered an ideal logistics and commercial centre for Groupe Seb to operate and expand. “The Arabian Gulf States are estimated to spend over AED 367 billion (US$100 billion) on home, tourism and shopping mall projects over the next five years. The region has one of the world’s fastest growing populations, rising at around 6% annually and the GCC states between them possess over 45% of global oil wealth making them one of the wealthiest and fastest developing regions in the world,” remarked Mr. Lavoise.

All of the above factors have created a surge in home ownership major hotel and restaurant building programs and a vast demand for domestic appliances. ”We see opportunities in the region-wide new developments that automatically feed demand for our products,” he added.

“We are also proud to point out that at any given moment (in one second) six Groupe Seb products are sold somewhere in the world. This demonstrates our global reach, premium quality and the appeal of our products. Another key strength of Groupe Seb is innovation, as nearly 30% of our products introduced every year, are new products.”

Recent trends indicate an above-average growth in the Middle East and Africa region due to solid gains in the number of households and rising per capita incomes. Apart from this, the booming economies of the GCC region are expected to give further impetus to demand for household appliances.

Groupe Seb, which has been operating in this region for more than 40 years, is a household name for most of its products. Groupe Seb’s Dubai office exports to 78 countries including the Middle East, Near East, Africa and Dom Tom regions.

According to market research firm Freedonia Group, Inc, world demand for major household appliances is estimated to increase 3.7% annually through 2009, exceeding 390 million units

All these factors will benefit Groupe Seb, that manufactures cookware (non-stick bakeware, pressure cookers), appliances (toasters, coffee makers, vacuums), and personal care items (hair dryers, scales, and electric razors).

The company’s sales in Asia and Central Europe, where demand has continued to be strong, accounted for 26% of the total consolidated volume during 2005. Group sales for the year rose to around AED 11 billion (US$2.895 billion) up 7.6% over 2004.

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