Startup of the Week: Hit the gym in style with Quake Sportswear Qatar!

Sonkie

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Every week, ILQ features a different Qatari startup in our ‘Startup of the Week’ segment. Qatar has some of the most creative, unique, and impactful startups in the region, and we cover them all across a variety of industries in Doha, from fashion and beauty, to food and dining, health, education, and more!

This time, we're handing the reins to Quake Sportswear Qatar (QSQ) -- the country's very first brand for men's fitness and body-building apparel! QSQ was founded on September 7, 2016 by three Qatari gym buddies (namely Hamad Abdulla Al Rasheed, Bader Nasser Al Saadi, Abdulla Khalid Al Naama) aiming to bring the best fitness sportswear to the market. Quake is established as a new brand that covers gym and sport apparel. It delivers the right balance between quality, performance, and price. Their goal is to deliver high-quality fitness and body-building products with great design -- and 100% of their products are designed in Qatar.

(Video embedded from Quake Qatar's Facebook)

When asked about the relevance of their business for the people of Qatar, Bader, one of the founders, said: "In Qatar, there's a lack of brands focusing on sportswear. We believe with the increasing focus of Qatar in the health and fitness industry, it's an opportunity not only for us but also for our country to have a Qatari brand that provides quality sportswear with great design. Our target is to promote our country through our brand once we become international." He later added that having QSQ is something that all three of them believe every Qatari will be proud of.

Quake, which is obviously a shortcut for the word 'earthquake', came to the trio's mind because an earthquake is usually a hidden destructive power that is there, and just needs something to release it. They thought the name was perfect for fitness beginners as they believe that everyone has the potential to become an athlete and impress people with their transformation results. "Thus, we have decided to name our brand Quake," said Bader excitedly.

Sportswear in Qatar — Quake Sportswear Qatar founders with the owner of Flexzilla Supplements (guy in blue).

The sport enthusiast friends are proud to say that they didn't seek help from the Qatar Incubation Center or Digital Incubation Center or any startup incubation company. When the three of them came up with the concept of opening a Qatari brand for fitness-goers, history unfolded. They started from scratch -- from working on designs, logo, and a brand-name, to finance consultation and, later on, promotion.

Abdulla, who's in charge of QSQ's financing, expressed that while most sportswear brands in Qatar are focusing on providing sports clubs with clothes for their trainees/athletes, Quake doesn't consider them as competitors, as Quake is more focused on products for the general public, rather than sports clubs.

"Our target is mainly fitness and body-building and that's why we're promoting ourselves as 'The first Qatari sportswear brand for fitness and body-building.' Our products are designed for fit and muscular people. Therefore, you'll notice when you wear it that it's more tight on the body, unlike international brands like Nike and Adidas which focus on the general public and their style is more loose," added Abdulla, who also said that the recently-concluded Qatar National Sport Day 2018 helped them promote their brand and reach their target audience, as it was aligned with their industry and goals of encouraging people to start training.

With a lot of positive customer feedback from both men and women, the next two years will be a busy time for the QSQ team. Also, due to the unexpected demand from female customers, QSQ will begin working on female sportswear too by mid-2018!

Hamad concluded with some advice for young entrepreneurs seeking to establish startups of their own: "Don't rush the process of opening a business. Take time to research and plan so that when you start you don't under-deliver to their expectations. More importantly think of how to sustain the business long-term and what strategies you'll need to make it profitable."

Sportswear shop in Qatar — Customers are glad to approach the Quake booth in Katara Cultural Village for the Sport Day festivities.

Prices for Quake T-shirts range from QR 182 - QR 219, sweatshirts are priced at QR 248, prices for hoodies range from QR 164 to QR 292, while joggers are priced from QR 255 to QR 310.

Their retail partner, Flexzilla Supplements -- located next to La Cigale Hotel -- houses and sells QSQ products and will soon be available at other retailers. The Quake team is currently negotiating with one of the biggest retailers in the fitness and body-building industry in Qatar and, once an agreement is signed, they'll be available in 6-8 branches all across the country. Stay tuned for the announcement of QSQ's retailer name and locations!