What CEOs should be thinking about for Eid

Over the past decade, Eid has become a significant event in the wider luxury sector with many global high-end brands now offering dedicated ranges and modestwear capsule collections to mark the celebration. With a large proportion of Muslims both residing in the UK as well as travelling here as a holiday destination, it has become an increasingly lucrative market for high-end marques based in Britain.

With Eid ul-Adha taking place on 16th and 17th June – and Eid al-Fitr following next year on 30th and 31st March – now's the time for CEOs to consider their corporate strategy to reach a broader, more diverse audience during these key cultural festivals. In honour of the impending celebrations, Walpole breaks down the key things every British luxury brands needs to know about Eid, illustrated by expert insights from Walpole members and partners.

There are two Eid festivals that take place during the year. Eid al-Fitr ("breaking of the fast") is the biggest event in the Islamic calendar and celebrates a month-long fasting in Ramadan focusing on key values such as discipline, spirituality and gratitude, when families and friends come together by feasting and exchanging gifts. Eid al-Adha ("feast of the sacrifice") is more focused on charity, where many Muslims will donate to the poor by distributing meat or giving money to the local mosques.

Gifting is a key celebratory element of Eid, meaning that many Muslims will prioritise spending on luxury beauty goods, fashion and food. In recent years, this has lead to retailers like Harrods and Fortum & Mason creating bespoke hampers specifically for Eid gifting, while beauty brands like Jo Malone London and Ormonde Jayne will introduce limited-edition fragrances for the festivities.

"Ormonde Jayne's philosophy has always been, and will always be, inclusivity and respect for all religions, races, cultures and traditions," says Linda Pilkington, Founder of Ormonde Jayne, who tells us the house's Ta'if parfum, a rose fragrance named after a town on the shores of the Red Sea overlooking the Arabian Desert (pictured above), is a long standing favourite for Eid gifting.

"Our boutique in Mayfair attracts a lot of tourists from all over the world all year round. However, on the day before Eid, and on the day itself, we do see an increase in visitors from the Gulf states."

"Gift-giving sits at the heart of our brand and we take pride in offering the perfect present for all occasions, including Eid," says Emma South, Jo Malone London's Fragrance & Lifestyle Expert. "Our distinctive home scents — including favourites from the Cologne Intense collection — enhance the atmosphere, inviting guests in with a warm welcome during this special time of year. And our box embossing and engraving services inspire cherished memories long after the celebrations are over."

To be authentic, a marketing strategy that is being more widely explored by brands centres on the inclusion of regional designers and creatives. Bicester Village in Oxfordshire (part of The Bicester Collection) currently has a pop-up space showcasing the collection from Middle Eastern brand Dima Ayad, creating exclusivity and prompting sales before Eid, and attracting a large audience from the Middle East.

Personalisation is also key to creating authenticity. “Eid is a prime opportunity to connect deeply with the customers," says Grace Khoury, Senior Vice President of Fashion at Walpole partner organisation, Chalhoub Group (a leading collaborator and creator of luxury experiences in the Middle East). "As personalisation is key in the luxury sector, during Eid brands delight their customers with bespoke gifts. Amongst our luxury fashion brands, we see initiatives from Jimmy Choo, Ferragamo, Versace, and Renee Caovilla offering date boxes, specially-created accessories from the recent collections and personalised notebooks for Eid.”

This means that, when it comes to communications, above all else, the language used must be meaningful and purposeful to detract from any commercial objectives. In addition, internal teams should be encouraged to educate themselves about the celebrations and explore the scents, colours, fabrics, key ingredients and tastes that resonate with the consumer’s background to show authentic cultural appreciation.

A DE&I strategy in your company will play a huge part on cultural education internally and will benefit multiple departments by bringing insights and new dimensions of understanding. Cultural education will also help businesses who need to diversify and plan to expand globally, especially in the Middle East and India. Additionally, these cultural recognitions embrace inclusivity for consumers as well as employees who are from different backgrounds.

However, for this to happen, we must all explore culture and educate ourselves to create an inclusive environment for all employees to feel a sense of belonging. As Dharmini Chauhan, Chief Information Officer at Mulberry, shared recently with The Outsiders Perspective: “Having diverse leadership and throughout the business’s ranks makes commercial sense and it makes sense for gathering the talent you need in your organisation.”