12 March 2005
DUBAI - Dubai Festival City will house first IKEA 'destination' store, by Swedish furnishing giant and will open in September 2005 as part of retail park, said Phil McArthur, director of leasing and marketing, Dubai Festival City (DFC).
McArthur said:" The retail park will also have a mega hyper-market, for which we hope to announce the brand operator shortly. Linked to our Festival Centre, the store and hypermarket are expected to be a major pull for our waterfront destination. They will be linked to the main Festival Centre via a 130-metre, air-conditioned Retail Connection, which will house 60 shops along its entire length." The Festival Centre will also feature a furniture precinct within its retail park with a series of big box flagship stores from leading brands including Plug-Ins ElectroniX, leading hardware supplier ACE Hardware and Home Center. The furniture precinct's Plug-Ins store will be the brand's eighth in the UAE and its largest - at 35,000 square feet. The ACE Hardware and Home Center will be the fourth of its kind in the country, but again the largest, at almost 85,000 square feet, and will feature a dedicated garden centre.The big box retailers will bring a whole new retailing experience to customers. They will offer vast retail space and ample car parking, added McArthur.
BY SANDHYA D'MELLO
© Khaleej Times 2005
