Friday, Nov 27, 2009

Gulf News

Dubai/Abu Dhabi Supermarkets and shopping malls witnessed frenzied shopping yesterday as residents splurged on gifts, garments and grocery to celebrate Eid Al Adha.

Gift packets of confectionaries, chocolates and dates have been flying off the shelves since last week, but yesterday saw a mad rush for everything including grocery items, garments and perfumes.

"I am going to Pakistan tonight and I cannot go home without buying gifts for all my family members. I have bought everything from dates to perfumes and abhayas to leather bags," said Ali Arshad, an electrician.

Umm Rahim, a UAE national mother, said she was buying perfumes for all her cousins.

"We have already finished all the grocery shopping, but it has been a week since we started collecting gifts and it is not yet over," said the mother of three.

Supermarkets said it had been good business.

"On an regular day, the average footfall in our hypermarket is between 15,000 to 20,000, but during Eid there is a sharp 30 to 35 per cent increase," said V. Nandakumar, Corporate Communications Manager at EMKE Group of supermarkets and Hypermarkets.

He said the special package deals on grocery items and confectionaries had been a favourite among shoppers. Sales of garments, gifts and accessories had also gone up, he added.

Kamal Vachani, Managing Director of Al Maya group of supermarkets, said the fact that yesterday was a public holiday had worked in their favour.

"Holidays always trigger the shopping mood and people are happily spending. Many families are travelling and they are lavish in buying gifts for their loved ones. Eid shopping is looking quite prospective this year," added Vachani who owns about 11 supermarkets in Dubai.

Red carpet

Shoppers in Abu Dhabi are also basking in the festive mood with retailers rolling out the red carpet for them in the form of special offers and discount deals.

"This is a good time to buy electronics and other household items as most shops have special offers for Eid," said Ramzan Seddiqui, a database administrator from Pakistan.

"Our usual Eid shopping basket includes clothes for the whole family and gifts. I let my kids, aged nine and four, buy a toy each while my wife usually buys gold," he said.

Dr Salwa Mohammad, who works at the airport clinic, said she was travelling with her family back home to Egypt this year to celebrate Eid.

"Much of our shopping is done here. Eid celebrations are different there. Unlike here, there are many more places to visit and spend leisure time with family in Egypt", she said.

Road congestion

Having spent 32 years in Abu Dhabi, she said that she enjoys the shopping except for the increased road congestion, the long waiting time to find taxis and lack of parking spaces.

"It is most important to share the joy of Eid, not just with family but also with the less fortunate," she said, adding that she distributes Eidiya' (money given usually to the non-earning members of the family, like children, during Eid) to a few workers.

Most companies distribute salaries ahead of Eid so shopping has been at a peak during the past week at hypermarkets and supermarkets, retailers told Gulf News. "Most of the consumers purchase clothes and electronics at least one week ahead of Eid but the food stuffs were purchased just two to three days ago", said V. Nandakumar, Corporate Communication Manager of Emke Group, which runs the largest retail chain in the region, Lulu hypermarkets and supermarkets.

"The consumers' cost consciousness may prompt them to cut luxury items and instead they may spend on clothes, food stuff etc. So, retail shopping shows an upward trend during this Eid too," he said.

"We find a happy shopping time during this Eid."

The impact of early salary disbursement by companies was visible two to three days ahead of Eid, said Bejoy Thomas, Promotions and New Initiatives Manager at Abu Dhabi Cooperative Society.

landmarks

capital appeal

Eid shopping may have ended yesterday evening but the shopping spree will continue during the holidays thanks to new landmarks and events in Abu Dhabi which attract many visitors, businesses told Gulf News.

Although the Formula One is over, a large number of people from other emirates and abroad are still coming to Abu Dhabi to look at the Yas Marina circuit on Yas Island, said Bejoy Thomas, Promotions and New Initiatives Manager at Abu Dhabi Cooperative Society.

Apart from international sports, cultural and musical events, new resorts and hotels and leisure facilities also bring in unprecedented numbers of visitors, he said.

V. Nandakumar, Corporate Communication Manager of Emke Group, added: "Many of the local residents take their visitors to shopping malls to purchase gifts for them. Otherwise shopping malls are A meeting point for people."

B.A.K

By Anjana Sankar

Gulf News 2009. All rights reserved.