Fortnum & Mason in talks about Qatar expansion as World Cup looms
Luxury London department store Fortnum & Mason is in talks to open an outlet in Qatar amid growing interest from international brands in the Gulf ahead of this year’s football World Cup.
Sky News reported that executives at the heritage retailer are in talks with potential franchise partners in Qatar about the move.
If the project proceeds, it would represent Fortnum & Mason’s first store in the country, although it did briefly have a presence in the Gulf with an outlet in Dubai which closed in 2017.
Fortnum’s business was badly affected during the initial phase of the pandemic, forcing it to furlough hundreds of staff, but it has since seen strong growth in its online business.
A spokesman for Fortnum said: “As part of our strategy, we are exploring opportunities to expand both online and internationally, the Gulf being a region we’d like to look at again.”
