By Helen Reid and Dominique Patton
PARIS, March 2 (Reuters) - In Dubai and other major Middle Eastern shopping hubs, many stores are closed or operating with a skeleton staff as the escalating conflict in the region causes chaos for businesses and travel.
The U.S.-Israeli air war against Iran expanded on Monday with no end in sight, with Tehran firing missiles and drones at Gulf states as it retaliates for a weekend of bombing that killed Iran's supreme leader and reportedly killed scores of Iranian
civilians, including a strike on a girls' primary school.
Chalhoub Group, which runs 900 stores for brands from Versace and Jimmy Choo to Sephora across the region, said its stores in Bahrain were closed, while other markets, including the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan remained open though staff attendance was "voluntary."
"We operate with a lean team formed of members who volunteered and feel comfortable to come to the store," Chalhoub's Vice President of Communications Lynn al Khatib told Reuters, adding that the company's leadership team personally visited Dubai Mall and Mall of the Emirates on Monday morning to check in with workers.
Gucci owner Kering said its stores were temporarily closed in the UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar and it has suspended travel to the Middle East.
LUXURY GROWTH ENGINE UNDER THREAT
Shares in luxury groups LVMH, Hermes, and Cartier owner Richemont were down 4% to 6.5% on Monday as investors digested the knock-on impacts of the conflict.
The Middle East still accounts for a small share of global spending on luxury - between 5% and 10%, according to RBC analyst Piral Dadhania. But the region was "luxury's brightest performer" last year, according to consultancy Bain, while sales of expensive handbags have stalled in the rest of the world.
Now, shuttered airports have put an abrupt stop to tourism flows into the region and missile strikes - including one that damaged Dubai's five-star Fairmont Palm hotel - are likely to dissuade travellers, particularly if the conflict drags on.
"If you assume that it's a $5 to $6 billion (travel retail) market and let's say it's going to be shut down for a month, we are talking about hundreds of millions of dollars that are definitely at risk," said Victor Dijon, senior partner at consultancy Kearney.
If Middle Eastern shoppers cannot travel to Paris or Milan, that could also hurt luxury sales in Europe, he added.
Luxury brands have been investing in lavish new stores and exclusive events across the region. Cartier unveiled a "high-jewellery" exhibition in Dubai's Keturah Park just days before the conflict started. Cartier and Richemont did not reply to requests for comment.
Luxury conglomerate LVMH has also bet big on the region. Last month, its flagship brand Louis Vuitton staged an exhibition at the Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab hotel, and beauty retailer Sephora launched its first Saudi beauty brand.
LVMH does not report specific figures for the region, but in January Chief Financial Officer Cecile Cabanis said the Middle East has been "displaying significant growth." LVMH did not reply to a request for comment on how its business may be impacted by the conflict.
The Middle East has also attracted new investment from mass-market players. Budget fashion retailer Primark said in January that it plans to open three stores in Dubai in March, April and May, followed by stores in Bahrain and Qatar by the end of the year.
"Primark is set to open its first store in Dubai at the end of March but clearly this is a fast-moving situation which we are monitoring closely," a spokesperson for Primark owner Associated British Foods said.
Apple stores in Dubai were closed until Thursday morning, the company's website showed, while Swedish fast-fashion retailer H&M said its stores in Bahrain and Israel are closed. Consumer goods group Reckitt has told all employees in the Middle East to work from home, temporarily closed its Bahrain manufacturing site and suspended all business travel to the region until further notice.
(Reporting by Helen Reid, James Davey, Alex Marrow, Greta Rosen Fondahn, Dominique Patton)
