Munich Eyes UAE Market as it Teams Up with El Ganso for Madrid Launch

Munich begins a year of reflection, but maintains its growth projects. The Spanish footwear company, which has diversified from sports to fashion, is finalizing its landing in the United Arab Emirates with a local partner, while seeking to gain presence in Madrid with an alliance with El Ganso. After the incorporation of its first general manager at the end of last year, the company is beginning a review of processes to increase its speed to market.

As Xavier Berneda, the company’s maximum shareholder, explained to Modaes, Munich is finalizing the signing of a master franchise agreement to open stores in the United Arab Emirates. The agreement, which will mean the entry of the brand in the Middle East, contemplates the development of a network of stores of the brand.

The presence in the United Arab Emirates will add to the group’s growing international business, both through the wholesale channel and through franchises. Brazil is one of the company’s main markets abroad, operating in conjunction with a local group.

Munich is negotiating the signing of a master franchise agreement to enter the Middle East

At the same time, the brand continues to focus on the Spanish market, where it currently has a network of around thirty stores. To penetrate the center of Spain, especially in Madrid, Munich has teamed up with El Ganso to launch a partnership on the market.

At the end of February, Munich and El Ganso will launch a series of sneakers fusing the styles of the two brands. The collaboration, consisting of 5,000 pairs of sneakers, will be available in the distribution network of the two brands.

As the 2025 financial year draws to a close, Munich is beginning a period of reflection. We have to change our philosophy: until now, we have been taking the product we wanted to the multi-brand and to our stores,“ says Berneda; “as retail becomes more important, the product proposal must change.

The company will launch a collaboration with El Ganso at the end of February

The entrepreneur wants Munich to gain “speed in the product”, betting on smaller collections to be able to “react better” to sales and consumer behavior. Currently, Munich works with four collections a year, a figure that will grow to gain speed in reaching the market.

With this move, Munich wants, in Berneda’s words, to improve its “momentum”. With 70% of its business coming from the fashion category, the businessman is clear that the brand depends on trends and the “momentum of its brand”.

Munich’s customer base consists mainly of men over the age of 30. “It’s a safe target and so we don’t depend on the hype, which lasts two days,“ says Berneda, who recognizes that part of the exercise Munich is doing seeks to rejuvenate its target audience and boost its sales.

Next March, Munich will end fiscal 2025 and will do so with stable sales for the second year in a row. In 2024, the company achieved sales of €82 million. Berneda points out that the stagnation in revenues is a consequence of the closure of multi-brand outlets in markets such as Spain, with such prominent crises as those of Intersport or Oteros.