The hard ones, answered in public.
Answering the difficult questions openly is what makes the easy ones believable.
What does it cost to open a May And Co unit?
Figures are confirmed in a written commercial schedule issued after site feasibility, mall requirements and assortment planning. They are specific to a location, and quoting a number before that work is done would be misleading. Between seventy and eighty per cent of the core investment, depending on format, is planned for opening jewellery inventory.
Which territories are available?
None today. No territory is available in any market until the United Arab Emirates pilot store has traded and the market-entry gates have been cleared. We would rather have the conversation early than allocate something we cannot yet grant.
What return can I expect?
None is projected and none is offered. Returns depend on the site, the operator and the market, and any figure presented before feasibility would be a guess wearing a suit.
Can I source my own stock?
No. Everything carrying the brand or the metal reaches a unit through one route. That rule is the reason the network can be audited, and it is not varied.
Can I run my own promotions?
No. Campaigns, pricing and discounting sit with the parent and the master. A unit that advertises independently is no longer part of a single brand.
Do I own the inventory?
Yes. The unit owns its inventory. It is bought through the master and settled through the trade account, and it remains the unit’s asset.
What experience do I need?
Retail or jewellery experience helps and is assessed in the operator review, but it is not a precondition at every format. Willingness to be present, and to be audited, matters more.
How long does it take from enquiry to opening?
It depends on mall availability, approvals and fabrication. The stages are fixed; the calendar is not, and we will not quote one we cannot hold.
What happens if a unit underperforms?
The standards score identifies it early. Two consecutive quarters below the threshold opens a cure period, with support attached. The system is designed to fix a unit before it fails.
Is this an offer?
No. This site is a discussion document. It is not an offer of a franchise, an offer of securities or an invitation to invest.
If your question is not here, ask it.
We would rather answer it directly than have you guess at the answer.