The Middle East’s virtual mall, 14m.com has opened a new outlet to cater to traditional tastes. The Middle East Handicrafts Centre has been added to the list of existing retail outlets.
Due to the lack of companies conducting business online, the Middle East Handicraft Centre has been launched as both a B-2-B and a B-2-C cite, or an ‘open’ B-2-B site as it has been labeled.
“We need a large client base to make this project economically feasible,” explained Eqbal Al Yousuf, MD for Al Yousuf Universal which owns 14m.com.
Business Opportunities
Al Yousuf recognises the need to promote the new outlet, he said: “We would like to help revive some of the dying handicrafts by opening up some markets, while seeking business opportunities for 14m.com.
“We realize that many handicrafts retail businesses may not have access to the Internet yet, but in exactly the same way we launched the 14m.com, we want to lead the way and encourage businesses in the region to explore this new medium. To be able to do that we need to offer the means, and this is what we are doing with the B-2-B section of the mall.”
Middle East Handicrafts Centre currently offers products from UAE, Bahrain, Egypt, Syria and Jordan but over time it will build up the range of products it offers and the number of countries it sources from.
