ROCS Retail, the franchisee for beauty brand Inglot for Malta, Libya and Cyprus, finally opened Tripoli’s first Inglot store earlier this month.

Two years in the offing – the finalised project was put on hold last February in the Libyan uprising – the store enjoyed an overwhelming welcome from Libyan consumers. A second store and possibly even a studio will be opened by the end of the year.

Inglot Libya director Abdurazzaq Elmanfi was delighted with the partnership with ROCS Retail and was confident the brand would flourish in Libya.

ROCS group head of finance and business development Colin Aquilina said the Maltese company was pleased the project had got off the ground: “The sales on the opening day were staggering, dare I say better than Christmas in Malta,” he said. “We are honoured to have such a valued partner in the Libyan market.”

Mr Elmanfi came to know the brand after visiting the Inglot store in Malta and later another on New York’s Times Square, and was determined to take the brand to Libya.

He said his relationship with the Vella family, the people behind the ROCS Group, has given the Tripoli operation considerable support in marketing, human resources, retail experience, and professionalism.

Inglot Libya staff were trained in Malta. Over the past four years, teams from Inglot Milan and Lebanon as well as other locations have visited the Malta store to gain experience.

Inglot is now present in more than 280 retail locations across the globe.