Malls upbeat on footfalls

“Official tourism reports reveal an annual increase of the festival’s footfall,” Ibrahim Saleh, Coordinator General, DSF and Deputy CEO of Dubai Events and Promotions Establishment (DEPE) said.

Rana Jaser, PR and Marketing manager, Mercato, told Khaleej Times that global tourism trends play a vital role in feeding the DSF footfall.

“Considering the many international cruises calling to Dubai this winter like Aida Diva, Costa Luminosa and Costa Deliziosa, the number of tourists who visited Mercato last month rose by 73 per cent compared to January last year.”

“This can be attributed to the increase in discounts which introduced usually towards the end of the festival, and customers become aware of our malls’ grand prizes,” Jaser said.

Al Ghurair City

Al Ghurair City, the pioneer shopping centre in the Middle East, boasts of a steady 20 per cent increase in footfall since the 2008 economic downturn. “A market correction took place in 2009, and henceforth, the retailers and malls, are back in brisk business especially during the Dubai Shopping Festival.”

Joe Abi-Khalil, Marketing Manager, Al Ghurair City, attributed this development to the strategic location of Al Ghurair City, which covers at least 700,000 residents around it. “The quality of goods offered and the strength of the retailers are certainly plus factors to our steady footfalls. We also host the vibrant Night Souq, which is at our premises and offers unbeatable deals,” he said.

Mall of the Emirates, Deira City Centre and Mirdiff City Centre

Stewart Hutcheon, head of Retail at Majid Al Futtaim Properties, said: “The big offers appeal to shoppers of all ages and nationalities, and the inflow of travellers for the Chinese New Year and other key markets, including Russia.”

“Each year we try to create a calendar of events that reflects the international status of Dubai, and the Dubai Shopping Festival. This year is no exception with a vast array of authentic dance troupes sharing their unique cultures through the art of dance,” said Mall of the Emirates VP, Fuad Mansoor Sharaf.

Dubai Outlet Mall

The Dubai Outlet Mall, known for its ‘outlet’ concept, offers savings and bargains ranging from 30 to 90 per cent always.

Mohamed Khammas, CEO, Dubai Outlet Mall said: “We share the common objective of DEPE to make Dubai the destination of choice. We hope that this year is better than the last year. Growth rates are subjective and what we can say as of now is that we are doing well in these challenging times.”

Dubai Marina Mall

Dubai Marina Mall is witnessing robust sales at the participating outlets and strong visitor footfall since the commencement of the festival

Arabian Center

At Arabian Center, the first half of DSF 2011 gets a great response at the mall with exciting offers and activities drawing in the crowds.

Tim Jones, COO, Arabian Center said: “We have witnessed an increase of about 18 per cent. We have been hosting fun activities everyday to offer an exciting visit to the mall to our customers. The mall is also offering great discounts at all shopping outlets and some fantastic offers to avail and enjoy during DSF 2011. We are very pleased with the results.”

lily@khaleejtimes.com