If you dream of a fully automated home environment where you can set the right mood via voice command, Legrand’s new concept store in Beirut’s Ashrafieh region might be a good place to start.
Globally, Legrand provides solutions designed to manage lighting, heating, energy, networks and building access through products ranging from control and command devices to cable management, power distribution and voice-data-image systems.
The group has a global turnover of $6.3 billion with a turnover of around $25 million in Lebanon alone spread over their portfolio of brands in the country which include Arnould, Bticino, Cablofil, Legrand, Vantage and Zucchini.
According to Pascal Decons, Legrand’s Near East regional manager, Lebanon is the group’s strongest market in the region, accounting for 70 percent of its business, despite the country’s comparatively small size when compared to neighboring Jordan or Syria. Decons sees Iraq and the Gulf as potential markets of growth for Legrand in the region.
Legrand has had a representative office in Lebanon since 2007 and a presence in the market through high-end distributors such as Hermes for forty years. Still, the company’s management felt that despite their position as a global leader in electric infrastructures, their products were not as visible in the market as they could be and so the natural next step was to increase their exposure through a concept store which would boost their image, explains Decons.
Equally as important a reason for the concept store is that many architects and interior designers employed for big projects in the region are based in Lebanon and so, according to Decons, Legrand needed to be close to them.
The final reason is a show of support for the country and the region: “We also wanted to send a message to the region that the tense situation in the area does not scare us. We believe in the Middle East and that is why we invested a significant amount to have a concept store here,” says Decons.
Indeed, Legrand invested close to $400,000 in the concept store which was designed by architect Walid Zeidan who, according to Decons, “did a wonderful job in translating the vision we wanted to convey to the public and gave our products their true luxurious value through his work.”
Opened towards the end of January 2014 and located in Ashrafieh, on the road facing Mandaloun Café, Legrand’s concept store is sure to attract a lot of passersby – especially since the showroom is visually striking with crisp white boards displaying artfully arranged light switches that contrast with the dark grey concrete flooring, projecting an urban and clean image.
The unique space showcases the representative products of the My Home, Vantage, Legrand, Arnould and Bticino ranges and is geared toward professionals in the field and end customers looking to redecorate or customize their home. The store’s helpful team provides customers with tailored advice and personalized support with their projects. It is up to the distributor partners to follow up with sales, says Decons.
Legrand hopes to reproduce the same concept store idea in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, or Qatar.
Correction: This article has been updated to note that Legrand’s turnover in Lebanon is roughly $25 million, not the previously reported $2.3 million.
