24 March 2011, Dhaka. Aarong, the country’s leading fashion and lifestyle brand, will open its flagship store on the Dhaka-Mymensingh Road in Sector 3, Uttara on March 25, 2011. At 36,000 sq. ft., the outlet is currently the country’s biggest retail store. Aarong, an enterprise of BRAC, supports the livelihoods of approximately 65,000 rural artisans, of whom 85% are women.
Now in its 32nd year of operation, Aarong began conceptualising the design and building of its flagship store five years ago, in an effort to consolidate its brand image and present itself on a platform of global standards. The flagship store therefore aims to fully capture the Aarong brand and act as a projection of the brand’s positioning.
Every aspect of design, starting with the customised plans for the building to internal layout and decor, has been made to fit international retail industry standards. Visual merchandising elements inside the outlet have been professionally designed following scientific guidelines. Nakshikantha has been chosen as the overall theme for the store, to reflect Aarong’s pioneering role in the revival of this unique Bangladeshi craft.
Spanning the north wall of the building is Aarong’s Tree of Life – in which Aarong’s story is interwoven with the many thousands of stories of the family of artisans. The network of roots and branches of the tree is in fact an image of the rivers of Bangladesh. The motifs that form the tree use unique Nakshi Kantha patterns shaped from natural elements - metal, wood, clay and leather - indigenous to the work of our artisans. The outlet features six levels, each of which highlights one or more of these elements, with dedicated segments for clothing, accessories, leather and metal, books and stationery, toys, household products and much more. New features introduced include an exhibition gallery, a floor dedicated to exclusive product offering, a premium customer lounge and a newly-branded Aarong café in the flagship store.
The outlet will be inaugurated by Sir Fazle Hasan Abed, Founder & Chairperson, BRAC, Muhammad A. (Rumee) Ali, Managing Director, BRAC Enterprises and Tamara Abed, Director, Aarong. Senior officials from Aarong and BRAC will also be present.
