"Tayo and Ayo Amusan are a couple with a vision to grow the Nigerian retail sector at a steady pace,” said Omoyemi Akerele. Their company, The Persianas Group, is the largest indigenous commercial retail development company in Nigeria with 6 malls located in Lagos, Ibadan, Kwara, and Enugu. Over the last decade, the company's retail arm, led by Ayo Amusan, has launched franchises such as Hugo Boss , Lacoste and Puma.
An early entrant into the burgeoning Nigerian retail scene, Tayo used his 25-year property experience to build The Palms, a 45,000 square metre property. Situated on Lagos’ Lekki Peninsula, the mall-complex has 69 retail stores, among other facilities.
In 2021, Persianas Group acquired the Shoprite brand, the largest chain of supermarkets in Nigeria, with 25 stores nationwide. Persianas merged the legacy brand with in-house retail chain Jara.
While Tayo is focused on the property aspect of Persianas, Ayo oversees its retailers as the executive director of Persianas Retail Limited. Ayo has been involved in the retail industry since 1998. She holds an MSc in Risk Management from Cass Business School, City University, London, the city in which she began her career working in strategy and budgeting.
With 12 Puma and Lacoste stores, web and social e-commerce channels, and plans to double points-of-sale over the next decade, Ayo and her team at Persianas Retail are committed to driving retail culture in Nigeria — delivering the immersive and innovative shopping experiences to consumers.
In April 2023, the Puma x Davido Sports-Style collection launch event in The Palms Mall, Lagos. The event organised by Persianas Retail, the official retailer of Puma in Nigeria and the leading retailer of choice in Africa had over 300 guests in attendance.
