GMG Sports builds a true global omni-channel shopping experience using e-com, mobility

Gulf Marketing Group’s sports business has grown from a single retail store in Dubai to a multinational operation, making us the largest sports retailer in the MENA region. The GMG Sports portfolio includes homegrown brands such as Sun and Sand Sports as well as distribution for global brands Nike, Columbia, Timberland, Vans, and more.

In late 2020, Gulf Marketing Group acquired Royal Sporting House, one of the largest multi-brand sports retailers in Southeast Asia. This expanded the sports business in Middle East, and helped to enter Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Hong Kong.

GMG Sports now operates 550+ sports retail stores globally, with the potential to reach more than 700 million consumers. In addition to this brick-and-mortar presence, Gulf Marketing Group is constantly investing in and enhancing digital infrastructure.

Gulf Marketing Group is gearing up for a continuing surge in e-commerce demand across the GMG Sports division, in which online sales more than doubled in volume between 2019 and 2020.

Digital omnichannel

Gulf Marketing Group announced at the start of 2021 the deployment of an expanded omnichannel ecosystem that enhances customer accessibility to the sports brands through digital and mobile-commerce platforms.

It has always challenged itself to look at innovative ways and use of advanced technologies is fundamental in this ambition. Whether this means building unique in-store environments or developing mobile offerings, digital transformation aims to ensure that customers enjoy the experience across all touchpoints.

The rapid rise in its online sales demonstrates the effectiveness and headroom for further growth in the future.

Customers have strong expectations for quality, but also an engaging retail experience from GMG Sports brands. This is true regardless of the channel they choose to engage with. Delivering that experience requires different elements whether online or offline.

In-store customers expect to meet knowledgeable staff who can guide them and inspire them. They also desire accessibility to the physical product, to feel it, try it, even if they eventually do purchase the product online.

Meanwhile, customers starting their purchase journey online want the convenience of being able to browse at their leisure, from anywhere, and to easily save their digital shopping basket. In both cases, consumers have shown they prioritise product variety and availability, and the option to speak to a knowledgeable authority—whether that is in person, via mobile, or otherwise.

We always challenge ourselves to look at innovative ways to bring added value to our partners and customers,” said Bhavna Buttan, Group Chief Operating Officer, GMG.

Pandemic trigger

The pandemic has created circumstances that have impacted retail. The conditions of the last year have ignited significant e-commerce surge in the region and globally. Digitalisation has long been part of business strategy, yet Covid-19 greatly accelerated this digital transformation.

Gulf Marketing Group focused on home fitness products so that people in lockdown could still work out at home – and were met with greater than expected demand. That is why Gulf Marketing Group have been investing in new infrastructure and even greater capacity on the e-commerce front.

Gulf Marketing Group has considered a strong digital strategy to be of key importance—in retail sports as well as in other business divisions such as food, health, and more. The pandemic did prompt an aggressive review of its IT policies and infrastructure.

Digitalisation plans were accelerated by Covid-19, but the foundations of the strategy have been in place for many years.

To realise those ambitions, Gulf Marketing Group has strategic partnerships with many consultants and solution providers. Their global expertise and experience have been invaluable. Gulf Marketing Group has expanded its in-house capabilities over the last three years in particular.

Currently Gulf Marketing Group is focused on upgrading its current IT applications landscape, investing in new infrastructure both on-premise and in-cloud along with next generation technologies in the areas of machine learning, artificial intelligence, robotic process automation, and data analytics.

Gulf Marketing Group omniverse strategy comprises of high-speed connectivity, mobility, social media, location-based search, analytics, data on cloud.

Digital culture

One of the factors that has made transformation successful is inherent entrepreneurial culture. Gulf Marketing Group knows it must always keep evolving. That requires taking risks and being at the vanguard of new technologies and infrastructure.

Digital teams live this culture, and are empowered to make bold decisions and to learn from those, even if they do not work out the first time.

Gulf Marketing Group’s digital transformation strategy revolves around the simple philosophy of serving its customers with the best possible technologies available. The objective is to provide customers with a consistent experience whenever and wherever.

The strategy is driven by an in-house team, who work closely with industry solutions providers to match the pace of the retail market changes around digital and consumer experience.

Gulf Marketing Group is a growth business. Its operations are rapidly expanding through acquisitions, partnerships with international brands, diversification of business streams, and entering new geographies. As such, the customer base is also growing rapidly.

While that happens, Gulf Marketing Group believes the best way to serve those customers is to understand what motivates and inspires them. It looks at where it can create new experiences for them. Gulf Marketing Group analyses the gaps in what customers want and what is available in the market, and then looks to fill those gaps using its expertise.

Technologies change all the time and no one solution is guaranteed to work today and even one or two years from now. Gulf Marketing Group’s vision cannot be anchored in the technologies themselves, but rather the experiences for the customer

At present, consumers are showing just how much they value accessibility, convenience, choice, and availability– especially as e-commerce continues to grow.

Wherever the shopping experience starts, and regardless of where they make a final purchase, Gulf Marketing Group aims to meet their desires through a truly omnichannel offering.


Key takeaways

  • GMG Sports has a legacy that spans more than four decades.
  • GMG Sports operates 550+ retail stores globally, with potential to reach 700+ million consumers.
  • For GMG Sports division, online sales more than doubled in volume between 2019 and 2020.
  • Gulf Marketing Group is investing in and enhancing digital infrastructure.
  • Rapid rise in online sales demonstrates effectiveness and headroom for further growth.
  • Gulf Marketing Group has deployed an expanded omnichannel ecosystem using digital and mobile-commerce platforms.
  • Consumers have shown they prioritise variety and availability, and the option to speak to a knowledgeable authority.
  • Digitalisation has long been part of the business strategy, yet Covid-19 accelerated this digital transformation.
  • The pandemic did prompt an aggressive review of IT policies and infrastructure.
  • Digitalisation plans were accelerated by Covid-19, but foundations of the strategy have been in place for years.
  • Gulf Marketing Group focused on home fitness products and were met with greater than expected demand.
  • Digital teams live this culture, are empowered to make decisions and to learn from those, even if they do not work out the first time.
  • Technologies change all the time and no one solution is guaranteed to work today, one or two years from now.
  • Vision cannot be anchored in technologies themselves, but rather experiences for the customer.
  • Consumers are showing how much they value accessibility, convenience, choice, availability.

GMG Sports leverages 550+ shops, e-commerce and mobile shopping platform, digital technologies and digital team to build a true omni channel experience.