The Michele Peresso Group opened the first UPIM department store in Malta last week at the Duke’s Shopping Centre in Victoria.
When the Duke complex opened last November, the Michele Peresso Group opened four retail outlets there – Adidas, Sketchers and their latest two franchises Bata and Fergi.
UPIM Gozo has a retail shopping area of 550 sq m, making it the largest outlet in Gozo.
UPIM is a very familiar brand name for most Maltese who make it a point of shopping at UPIM whenever they go to Italy. The company has 153 direct stores and 204 franchised stores in Italy and abroad – Albania and Croatia, and now also in Malta.
There are five main sections:
Progetto Donna is for the contemporary woman aged 35 to 50, attentive to current trends but looking for style without excess. Oops targets the, 20 to 35-year-olds while Rosa Thea caters for larger sizes.
The Men’s collection is conceived around the different functions - professional life, leisure and evening: Progetto Uomo is for 35 to 50-year-olds, the contemporary man who wants to appear modern but not too much so; Upgrade, for the 25 to 35 years old, is for the younger men who like to experiment, and Comfortable Sizes Man from 35 to 55, a ‘shape-conforming’ collection with a classic style.
The Children’s Collection is structured around one brand name: BluKids. This includes Kids New Born, BluKids Baby (up to 36 months), BluKids Kids (from three to seven years), BluKids Boys & Girls (from eight to 14 years). This section also includes special facilities for nappy changing and so on.
UPIM Casa is Italy’s largest chain for home furnishings and accessories.
Lastly, there is UPIM Bellezza e Benessere, or the profumeria, which includes bath and shower, skincare and make-up ranges.
Speaking at the inauguration, CEO Emmanuel Peresso, after recounting the history of the association between his company and UPIM, which led to the venture, said the main philosophy of the company is to be customer oriented. This is shown by the various brochures the company gives to its clients to help and assist them. Customers will also find size measurement guidelines for all garments and sexes, as well as brochures with washing instructions. There is also in-house tailoring for the inevitable alterations.
UPIM Gozo will also offer its customers a Loyalty Club V Card, where customers can earn points after each purchase. This can also be found on the customer’s receipt. Further points will be given to customers as the store’s Christmas gift.
Up till 31 March, shoppers at UPIM will also get a free gift with every purchase together with an eco friendly shoppers bag, also free, until stocks last.
Present for the inauguration were Domenico Rosetto from UPIM srl and Minister for Gozo Giovanna Debono, who pointed out that opening such a store at a time of global recession was an act of faith and courage.