Value is defined as much by certainty as price: Max Fashion’s Hani Weiss

For decades, the value fashion segment operated under a simple commercial premise: stack items high, keep unit prices low, and drive transaction volume. However, in an era of macroeconomic headwinds, global trade bottlenecks, and highly informed consumers, competing solely on low shelf prices is no longer enough to win customer loyalty.

Modern shoppers across the Middle East and Southeast Asia—exposed to global retail benchmarks and well-traveled—view value through a far broader lens. When cost-conscious consumers spend their money, they demand confidence: assurance that an item will fit correctly, hold its quality over time, and be available on the shelf or delivered seamlessly when needed.

Few retail leaders understand this evolution better than Hani Weiss.

Having served as Chief Financial Officer and subsequently Chief Executive Officer at Majid Al Futtaim Retail—where he managed a $7 billion Carrefour franchise business spanning 500-plus stores across 16 countries—Weiss took the helm as Chief Executive Officer of Max Fashion MENA & Southeast Asia at Landmark Group in early 2025. Leading one of the region’s prominent value-fashion operators, Weiss argues that navigating modern disruption requires redefining what “value” truly means to the consumer.

“Today, value is defined as much by certainty as price,” explains Hani Weiss, Chief Executive Officer at Max Fashion MENA & Southeast Asia. “Customers still want affordability, but they also want confidence in quality, availability, delivery, and a seamless experience, making reliability and consistency essential parts of the value proposition.”

Capital Allocation and Disciplined Risk: Moving from CFO to CEO

Delivering certainty to the customer requires deep financial discipline behind the scenes. Transitioning from the CFO seat to executive leadership often presents a classic dilemma: balancing defensive risk mitigation with offensive growth investments.

For Weiss, financial discipline is not a mechanism for restricting innovation, but an operational asset that creates strategic optionality. By maintaining strict control over capital allocation, inventory levels, and operating expenses during favorable economic conditions, a retail organization builds the balance-sheet strength required to invest boldly during periods of market volatility.

“I think my finance background taught me to be disciplined about capital allocation and clear on where we can create long-term value,” Weiss observes. “That understanding gives me the confidence to invest in growth, innovation, and capability while staying focused on sustainable returns. I’ve always believed discipline should create options, not limit them.”

This financial rigor directly informs how Max Fashion manages its single house-brand business model across diverse international markets. By controlling the value chain—from design and sourcing to pricing and margin execution—Max aligns scale with localized agility.

“Max’s focus is on staying extremely close to customers and responding quickly to evolving demand, supported by disciplined inventory management, supply chain coordination, and operational consistency across markets,” Weiss highlights. “Scale is only an advantage when paired with local agility and disciplined execution.”

Owned Logistics: Engineering Supply Chain Certainty

The thesis that value is built on certainty was put to the test during recent shipping disruptions through the Red Sea and rising global sourcing costs. While many retailers faced severe inventory delays and soaring freight rates, Landmark Group’s structural decision to own its logistics infrastructure provided a crucial buffer.

By operating its own fulfillment backbone rather than relying entirely on third-party logistics providers, Max maintained continuous product flow through alternate shipping channels and regional ports during peak volatility.

“It’s been a significant advantage, particularly during recent disruptions,” Weiss explains. “When one of the region’s most important shipping routes was disrupted, Landmark Group and Max were able to keep goods moving through alternate routes, ports, and sourcing strategies. The focus is always on maintaining availability, delivery, and service continuity so customers are insulated from supply chain volatility.”

This resilience stems from a core operating philosophy: preparing for disruptions long before they materialize.

“The experience reinforced the importance of preparation, real-time visibility, diversified sourcing routes, and alternate ports,” Weiss reflects. “Max’s approach has been proactive rather than reactive, adjusting routing, lead times, and stock positioning while maintaining pricing discipline and customer service consistency. Max emphasizes scenario planning, route testing, and simulations, alongside disciplined inventory management to ensure availability in priority categories while maintaining tight control of overall stock levels.”

Digital Innovation: Providing Fit Certainty with Google Cloud Virtual Try-On

In digital fashion commerce, uncertainty surrounding garment fit remains one of the largest friction points for consumers, directly impacting cart abandonment and return rates. Building customer certainty online requires technology investments that directly resolve these concerns.

To address fit friction, Max partnered with Google Cloud to launch Virtual Try-On capabilities, enabling shoppers to visualize how garments drape and fit on realistic body profiles before purchasing.

“It’s still early, so I wouldn’t point to specific numbers yet,” Weiss clarifies. “What we do know is that fit confidence remains one of the biggest barriers to purchasing fashion online, and Virtual Try-On directly addresses that by helping customers make more informed decisions. We evaluate investments like this through the lens of customer experience, engagement, and long-term loyalty, and we believe the opportunity extends well beyond any single market.”

Delivering fit confidence online supports Max’s broader omnichannel approach, where physical stores and digital channels operate as unified assets.

“We don’t view physical and digital as competing channels,” Weiss says. “Our focus is on creating a truly omnichannel experience where each channel strengthens the other and delivers value for the customer.”

Elevating Customer Benchmarks: The CEO Metrics That Matter

As Middle East and Southeast Asian shoppers compare their retail experiences against top global standards, retail execution must remain consistent across every channel.

Having managed multibillion-dollar P&Ls across CFO and CEO roles, Weiss’s view of performance indicators has evolved from pure balance-sheet metrics to customer-centric operational signals that reflect daily execution quality.

“Customers today compare every experience against the best they’ve seen anywhere in the world,” Weiss notes. “That has raised expectations across every touchpoint, so whether they’re shopping in-store or online, they expect consistency, convenience, quality, and a seamless experience.”

Ultimately, maintaining strong financial performance depends on keeping the customer experience at the center of operational decision-making.

“I still pay close attention to the numbers, but today I spend more time looking at indicators that tell me how the business is serving customers,” Weiss concludes. “The metrics matter, but they are ultimately a reflection of whether we’re creating a great experience and executing consistently across the business.”