For the next instalment of our testimonials, we cross the Mediterranean to give the floor to Mounir, a MRE who has lived in France for ten years.
His experience is particularly interesting, because it also shows the difficulties that can be encountered when setting up an e-commerce business aimed at foreign customers. And how a Franco-Moroccan (and therefore bi-national) can live on both sides of the Mediterranean, promoting his native culture and appealing to everyone!
A journey from Morocco to France, without ever abandoning Morocco
Born in Salé, Mounir went to the Lycée des Orangers, then studied graphic design in Morocco, before joining the Beaux Arts in France. Graphic design and visual communication is his first profession, and it was with this talent that he decided to develop the MAR © by Maroco.co brand for Moroccans of the World. This can be seen in the superb image illustrating the site’s home page:
And if you zoom in on the top right-hand corner, what do you see? As in Agadir, as in many cities, the inscription “Allah, Al Watan, Al Malik” (God, the Homeland, the King, الله ؛ الوطن ؛ الملك in Arabic) on a mountainside!
His online shop is based in France. He wanted to set up a business in Morocco, but the difficulties were too numerous, both
- for importing products, which are made abroad and then branded / flocked / engraved in France or another European country
- and above all for resale in B2C, to the end consumer. This is the main difficulty for any online shop in Morocco: the cost of shipping by parcel is too high and some consumers are afraid of a company that is not in France or Europe.
So today MAR© is in France, but with two projects to reach Moroccans in Morocco and the rest of the world directly:
- the possibility of selling in bulk if you contact him directly
- the creation of a franchise, currently under study.
MAR© the Moroccan supporter’s jersey
I saw a Groupama Insurance company advert today that said “behind every shirt, there’s a love story“. I don’t need to remind you of the enthusiasm during the World Cup, during the African Cup of Nations, the anticipation of the World Cup in Morocco in 2030, or even the thousands of Moroccan kids who proudly wear a Lionel Messi T-shirt. The next big event will be the 35° CAN at the end of 2025.
And that’s exactly what MAR© is all about, football shirts for Moroccan fans all over the world. But that’s not all…
The basic logo is simple and effective; the lion’s head, linked to the world of football in Morocco with the Atlas Lions, is perfectly recognisable cut out on the right, on the map of Morocco, in red, and the words “MAR” in green.
It can be found on all kinds of clothing and accessories, including football shirts, caps, watches and more.
It also appears as a reminder on more complex graphic creations, such as this jersey in honour of the Berkane team (in monocolour).
It’s more than just supporters’ shirts, it’s StreetWear for Moroccan supporters. You’ll find all sorts of clothing, including a large section for women, with dresses like these:
Collections based on elements of Moroccan heritage: mosaics, zelliges, etc.
The dress just above is perfect for wearing to the stadium, during an event or supporters’ meeting, or even to the beach.
It features a discreet ‘mosaic’ pattern, a geometric structure found in most Moroccan zelliges.
And the word ‘zellige’ associated with the word ‘football shirt’ inevitably brings to mind the appropriation of Moroccan zellige by the Algerian football team and their Adidas shirts two years ago. Even before that happened, the brand had developed a whole collection of shirts featuring this typically Moroccan motif, which is also used on street-wear, such as this sweet:
A motif that’s right up there with the times, since two other Franco-Moroccans, Yace and Mounir, have teamed up with Nike for a special edition of the Air Jordan with a zellige motif.
Trainers that look like they could be worn with a djellaba, but which would also go very well with “Mar’s” clothes, don’t you think?
Other elements of Moroccan heritage
But Mounir has gone even further, with other graphic elements that speak instantly to lovers of Morocco, like this tote-bag with the logo of the little taxi (which also exists with a black background):
Or, much rarer, Thsirt that illustrate Moroccan history. I particularly liked two of them (yes, the photos on this post are like a wish-list if you feel like giving me a present!):
this one about the Marinids dynasty :
and in a series of famous sayings by Hassan II, I really like this one
One ambition: to become a benchmark brand
My aim is to develop even more products, while maintaining the same high quality, and to become a benchmark brand for Moroccan football fans and fans of Morocco in general.
Our clothes are made with care. Unfortunately, it’s impossible to manufacture them in Morocco these days, given the import costs, even if we then re-export them. We’re a small business and we can’t ‘afford’ the administrative complexity of setting up in a free zone. But I hope that one day it will be possible.
In the meantime, I regularly create new graphics, and I’m looking to develop a presence in Morocco, via a wholesaler or a franchisee. If you’re interested, you can contact me here: https://www.maroco.co/pages/contact
Although I sell mainly in France and Europe, my shop is international, and I have frequently served our MREs in the United States!
With all the high-level competitions that will be taking place in Morocco in the coming years, and the support that other countries have already shown Morocco, particularly during the World Cup, when the whole of Africa and the Arab world supported us, I hope to have a lot of work ahead of me!
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