Sunday, Feb 06, 2011

Gulf News

Oasis centre saw 30% surge in footfalls in week two

Dubai: After a slow start due to bad weather on weekends, mall retailers taking part in the Dubai Shopping Festival are reporting better sales in the past couple of weeks.

While the first DSF weekend was very sluggish, we saw a big spike in both footfalls and sales during the second. We had a 30 per cent surge in footfalls in the second weekend, compared to the first, Neelesh Bhatnagar, Director of Oasis Centre told Gulf News.

Optimism

We look forward with optimism as traditionally DSF has always been a slow-starter peaking in performance towards the end.

We expect the footfalls to increase by 60 per cent compared to a normal month, he said.

Sale promotions offered in certain shops and mall wide prize incentives such as raffles have helped boost sales considerably, says Bhatnager.

We witness E Max doing brisk business as they have an aggressive promotion giving away 1,000 LCD TVs. Sun and Sand Sports has their sale while Home Centre, Q Home Decor, Babyshop, Brands and Adidas are giving away attractive offers for all purchases. This year, the focus is more on offering more value on a minimum spend, rather than offering a discounted price, said Bhatnagar.

Al Ghurair City has introduced a 32-day promotion titled Shop your way to Fashion Destinations, whereby shoppers spending a minimum Dh200 in any Al Ghurair City shop will enter a daily raffle draw to win shopping trips to New York, London or Milan on a weekly basis.

DSF has always been a focal point of Al Ghurair Citys marketing initiatives and is an important driver in increasing footfall and sales in addition to building awareness of Al Ghurair Citys integrated offering. A winning combination of attractive offers, exciting events and daily prizes has contributed to Al Ghurair City achieving record visitor footfall figures this year, Joe Abi Khalil, Marketing Manager at Al Ghurair City, told Gulf News.

Entertainment

Retailers say the entertainment has also played a big part in bringing in footfall to the malls.

Carnivals such as the South American Group Show being held at the Mirdif City Centre as well as some other malls in Dubai, help a great deal to attract more shoppers to the venue. It is more like a family event wherein families come together in groups along with children to enjoy such colourful carnivals, said Rangeeth Fernando, a Sri Lankan citizen who has been based in Dubai for the last four years.

Khalil says the Night Souq at Al Ghurair City has proved popular among shoppers.

The combination of the souq atmosphere and unbeatable offers keeps shoppers coming back for more. In addition, our range of alfresco dining options provides views and access to all the DSF activities on our property overlooking the bustling Rigga Street, creating a signature outdoor entertainment experience that is not to be missed, said Khalil.

By Aya Lowe, Staff Reporter

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