History

Squaredeal was founded by Carmelo Grech way back in 1938 when he opened his 1st fashion store in tower road Sliema which today is a Celio store and still belongs to members of the Grech family.

Due to the success of the 1st store, more outlets were subsequently opened in Valletta and Hamrun. As Carmelo had four sons, he decided that it would be wisest to open different businesses for his children and believed that this would be the best way to be successful. In the 1960s he went into the property business and developed several apartments and Villas. Carmelo had a natural ability to do well in the property market and was an expert at finding undervalued properties and then developing them.

In 1970 Carmelo bought a Launderette and entrusted this business to one of his sons as he saw an opportunity in this market. In the latter part of the 1970s he began buying various properties in Spinola bay which he would develop to make the two restaurants La Dolce Vita and Paparazzi. In 1981 the restaurants were opened and managed by the family.

In 1988, the group acquired Axis Discotheque, establishing it as Malta’s largest and most technologically sophisticated nightclub, rivaling the top venues in Europe for its time. Under the leadership of the eldest member of the third-generation Grech family, the club moved past an initial period of uncertainty to become a monumental success. For over two decades, Axis served as the flagship of the family’s business interests. Building on this momentum, the company further solidified its dominance in the nightlife industry by operating two other leading clubs in Malta.

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In 1995 certain businesses within the Grech family were restructured and divided to ensure that the third generation could continue to run certain businesses more independently and to ensure that there was more accountability. This formula worked and in a short period franchise contracts were signed with several leading fashion companies such as Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein, Replay, Celio, Tom Tailor, Tally Weijl, Jack & Jones and La Senza.

The group’s modern era was defined by a 1995 restructuring, designed to give the third generation more independence and accountability. This shift triggered a rapid expansion into international franchising, securing prestigious agreements with brands like Ralph Lauren, Dolce & Gabbana, Calvin Klein, Jack & Jones and Replay. Over the next decade, the group solidified its mass-market dominance by bringing global names to Malta, starting with Tom Tailor in 1999, which provides classic German casual wear for the whole family. This was followed in 2001 by Celio, the leading French menswear brand, and in 2003 by Tally Weijl, a Swiss label dedicated to trendy fashion for young women.

From 2003 to 2010, the company executed a highly profitable expansion strategy in Libya, becoming the first to introduce the "full concept" franchise model to the country with the Celio and Tom Tailor brands. These ventures enjoyed significant success until 2010, when the business was divested to their Libyan partner. In hindsight, the exit was fortunate, occurring just before the regional instability that followed.

In 2005, the group further diversified by signing with La Senza, a Canadian global leader in lingerie and nightwear, offering a concept similar to Victoria’s Secret. Expansion continued into the accessories and beauty sectors with the 2014 launch of SIX, an international supplier of fashion jewelry, followed by I AM and the cosmetics giant Flormar in 2015.

By 2025, the group cemented its market-leading position by opening massive flagship stores in Malta’s most prestigious locations, including a state-of-the-art Celio at The Shoreline and their largest-ever menswear outlet at The Point Shopping Mall, ensuring the Grech family legacy continues to thrive across the islands.  In 2026 the 400sqm flagship Celio shop will open in Malta's newest mall, where the womenswear collection will be launched for the 1st time.

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