Havas Buy Strengthens Retail Offer in Middle East

Marcoms group Havas has announced the acquisition of UAE and Saudi-based Liquid Retail, promising to 'redefine the shopper marketing, ecommerce and retail media landscape in the Middle East'.

Liquid was established in 2016 and helps brands connect with consumers at retail touchpoints through a combination of 'science, art and instinct'. This entails a strong element of insight and analytics including understanding target shoppers' motivations and behaviour, including their 'journeys from beginning to end' and their search behaviour; shopper touchpoints; and category understanding.

The company, which has grown to more than 100 staff, will now be rebranded as Liquid Havas and join the organization under Havas Market, the group's full-service ecommerce offering - launched in 2020, now available in 30 global markets and dedicated to delivering meaningful shopping experiences for people, brands and retailers.

The buy also reinforces Havas' presence in the Middle East where it maintains a partnership with luxury goods sales and marketing specialist Chalhoub Group. Liquid CEO Sachinn J Laala will remain in his role, and comments: 'Our partnership with Havas signifies a pivotal step towards amplifying the digital retail transformation globally, benefiting consumers, operators, and third-party sellers alike'. Yannick Bolloré, Chairman and CEO of Havas adds: 'At Havas, we're dedicated to creating meaningful shopping experiences that not only resonate with consumers but also drive brand growth across all channels. The addition of Liquid builds upon Havas' investment in the Middle East through our partnership with Chalhoub Group, extending our capabilities in this crucial region and ensuring our clients' digital commerce transformations are not just reactive but groundbreaking'.

Web site: www.liquidhavas.com .

From left to right: Colman Sheil, Chief Creative Officer, Liquid; Houda Tohme, CEO, Havas Media Middle East; Sachinn J Laala, CEO, Liquid; Dany Naaman, Regional CEO, Havas Middle East.