You open an abaya store, follow successful brands, and notice that a particular design is trending everywhere and generating high sales. The decision seems easy: offer a similar design at a lower price and capitalise on existing demand. But what happens when dozens of stores offer the exact same abaya? And how do you convince a customer to buy from you if she sees no distinct difference between your product and those of your competitors?

This is one of the key topics discussed by Waleed Al-Ammari, fabric merchant and owner of "Hamoor", during his appearance on the Namat Podcast, in an episode titled (Don't Copy: The Secret to a Successful Abaya Brand).

Drawing from his extensive experience in the fabric market and working with abaya business owners, Al-Ammari shared common pitfalls made at the beginning, the importance of selecting suitable fabrics, when to buy wholesale, and how to build a brand that does not rely on cutting prices or simply chasing viral trends.

Here are seven lessons you can apply when launching an abaya business or growing an existing store.

1. Differentiation | Don't Start with the Design Everyone Is Selling

A trending product can help you understand what the market is looking for, but it does not give your brand its own distinct identity. When designs, fabrics, and presentations are all identical, comparing stores becomes much easier, and price starts to drive the purchasing decision.

Speaking about brands he has seen succeed, Waleed Al-Ammari attributed their success to innovation, effective marketing, and the way products are presented, while criticising the practice of copying competitors’ designs and even their store experience.

However, differentiation doesn't necessarily mean inventing an entirely new type of abaya. It can begin with targeting an underserved customer segment, introducing a different fabric, or refining subtle details that make the cut more practical for specific uses.

Al-Ammari shared the example of a store that chose unconventional colours for the abaya market. Although these shades deviated from mainstream taste, the store discovered a dedicated customer base actively searching for them. He also highlighted opportunities in specialised categories, such as overhead abayas, where certain customer segments struggle to find options that suit their needs.

What can you apply? Before launching your first collection, ask yourself: Who is the customer I am designing for? What problem is she struggling to solve? What will make her remember my brand instead of just comparing prices?

2. Fabrics | Fabric Quality Defines Your Brand Reputation

A fabric might look appealing at the time of purchase, but its true quality only shows during tailoring, daily wear, and washing. That is why relying solely on the fabric name or country of origin is never enough to evaluate it.

Al-Ammari explained that fabric names can vary from one merchant to another, and two fabrics carrying the same name do not necessarily deliver the same quality. He pointed out issues that can emerge later, such as colour fading, attracting lint and dust, or difficulty handling the material during cutting and tailoring.

These details become vital when an abaya brand builds its reputation on consistent quality; a customer accustomed to a specific standard of fabric will feel disappointed if the quality drops, even if the price becomes lower.

Among the experiences Al-Ammari shared, a business owner chose to test cheaper fabrics despite warnings, only to face pushback from customers because the product no longer met their expectations of the brand.

What can you apply? Don't just look at a fabric swatch. Test cutting, tailoring, and washing it according to proper care instructions, and examine its colourfastness, texture, and how it drapes on the body. When comparing suppliers, assess fabric quality and supply consistency alongside price.

3. Getting Started | Test Multiple Fabrics Before Buying in Bulk

One of the biggest strains on an abaya business budget is purchasing large rolls of fabric before knowing which products customers will actually want.

Waleed Al-Ammari advises beginners to buy in small, varied quantities rather than purchasing entire fabric rolls of a limited selection. The goal is to test various fabrics and designs, and then increase your purchases for the products that demonstrate consistent demand.

When you purchase a large volume of a single fabric and the design fails to sell, a significant portion of your capital becomes tied up in slow-moving inventory. In contrast, smaller test batches give you room to learn and adapt your collection without a heavy financial commitment.

Al-Ammari also emphasised the importance of keeping part of the budget reserved for other expenses, rather than spending it all on inventory; the store will still need to cover operational costs, marketing, and unforeseen expenses that weren't budgeted initially.

What can you apply? Start with a limited collection of designs and fabrics, and monitor which products receive actual orders, what questions are frequently asked about them, and the reasons for exchanges or returns. Once clear indicators emerge, scale up your quantities gradually instead of making bulk purchasing decisions based purely on assumptions.

4. Pricing | Never Compromise Quality to Please Every Customer

"Your price is too high" is a phrase almost every abaya business owner hears, especially when offering high-grade fabrics or designs that require extra craftsmanship and detailing. But does that mean the price is actually unfair?

Al-Ammari believes that lowering quality in response to price objections can harm the brand in the long term, particularly when customers initially chose it for its specific standard of fabrics and design.

At the same time, this doesn't mean a high price is always justified. Pricing requires an understanding of unit economics, the target audience, and the perceived value the customer receives in return for their spend.

When pricing an abaya, calculate the cost of fabric, tailoring, embellishments, packaging, operations, and marketing, then determine the profit margin you require. After that, evaluate whether your target customer sees clear value in the product that justifies the price tag.

This value could lie in fabric premium quality, an impeccable fit, unique design aesthetics, or the standard of customer service. What matters most is that it is tangible value the customer can genuinely experience, not merely marketing hype.

What can you apply? If your price is higher than your competitors, don't rush to reduce it. First, review your costs, then evaluate how you communicate and showcase the product’s features. If you decide to introduce a budget-friendly line, clearly articulate the differences between it and your main collections without compromising existing customer expectations.

To dive deeper into calculating product costs and profit margins, read the Product Pricing Guide on the Salla Blog.

5. Production | Test the Workshop Before Committing to Large Volumes

Even if you select premium fabric, the final quality of an abaya depends heavily on the cutting, tailoring, sizing, and finishing. This is why agreeing with a workshop based on price or promises alone is never enough.

When asked about choosing the right tailor or workshop, Al-Ammari's primary advice was prototyping and testing. He noted that collaborating with individual tailors or small workshops can be ideal initially, as they are often willing to produce limited runs that allow business owners to test quality.

Start with an actual sample of the design, inspect the measurements and finishing details, and maintain clear specifications to reference during production runs. The success of the initial sample is not enough if the workshop cannot maintain the same standard across subsequent orders.

What can you apply? Create a reference spec sheet for each design, outlining fabric type, exact measurements, required finishing details, and quality acceptance criteria. As you scale production, inspect random samples from each new batch before making them available for sale.

6. E-Commerce | Help Customers Visualise What They Cannot Touch

Buying an abaya online is fundamentally different from shopping in a store. The customer cannot touch the fabric, evaluate its weight and texture, or see how it moves, and she may hesitate to buy if the photos and product descriptions are insufficient.

Waleed Al-Ammari faced a similar challenge when selling fabrics online. He mentioned launching his online store on Salla during the COVID-19 pandemic, despite earlier doubts about selling a product that heavily relies on touch and in-person inspection.

To overcome this barrier, he turned to video content explaining the fabrics, noting in the episode that his store features visual demonstrations for hundreds of items. He also offered swatch catalogues that customers could order to inspect materials firsthand.

The takeaway for an abaya store isn't necessarily to distribute sample catalogues, but to bridge the gap between customer expectations and the physical reality of the product.

You can film the abaya in motion, highlight sleeve and cut details, clarify fabric opacity and care instructions, and provide a clear size guide. The more accurate the information, the more confident the buying decision becomes.

What can you apply? Review one of your product pages and ask: Can the customer truly understand the abaya's drape, approximate texture, and fit from the information provided? If the answer is no, start refining your photography, video, and descriptions before spending more on customer acquisition.

7. Growth | Don't Let One Successful Campaign Dictate Future Purchasing

A specific design might achieve record sales after going viral on social media, making it tempting to order massive quantities right away. However, trending items do not necessarily sustain the same level of demand over time.

Al-Ammari discussed how quickly certain fabric and design trends emerge, and how an innovative idea can turn an overlooked fabric into a viral sensation. Conversely, he noted that once a design is replicated across dozens of stores, its distinct appeal fades.

This makes it crucial to differentiate between a temporary spike in demand and sustainable, compounding growth.

Track the performance of each design individually rather than relying only on aggregate sales figures. Monitor sell-through rates, repeat purchases, return rates, and net profitability after expenses. If sales of a particular design slow down, it may be wiser to review pricing, refresh the visual presentation, or liquidate remaining units rather than leaving capital trapped in inventory.

Al-Ammari highlighted the importance of dealing with dead stock promptly instead of letting it sit for years, as tied-up cash prevents merchants from purchasing fresh inventory that aligns better with current demand.

What can you apply? Schedule regular product assortment reviews: What deserves a restock? What needs improvement? What should be discontinued? Base your scaling decisions on consistent product performance, not the viral success of a single campaign.

From an Abaya Shop to a Memorable Brand

Waleed Al-Ammari's experience brings together deep material knowledge with practical insights into the challenges faced by abaya founders. The ultimate takeaway is that building a successful brand is not just about aesthetics. It is a chain of interconnected decisions, starting from understanding the customer and choosing the product, to manufacturing standards, pricing, and visual presentation, through to inventory management and retaining customer trust.

Differentiation doesn't require reinventing everything you offer; it requires knowing exactly who you are selling to, why they choose you, and how to stay true to the reason they trusted your brand in the first place.

If you are getting ready to launch your business, you can create your online store on Salla and start showcasing your first collection, continuously refining your products and shopping experience based on customer feedback.

Source: Episode (Don't Copy: The Secret to a Successful Abaya Brand) from Namat Podcast, featuring Waleed Al-Ammari, fabric merchant and founder of (Hamoor). This article was prepared based on the episode transcript, restructured with actionable insights for merchants.