Tag Archives: shopping
DSF: Living up to the theme of ‘Shop at your best’
DSF: Living up to the theme of ‘Shop at your best’ Lily B. Libo-on / 28 January 2014 A haven for shoppers, DSF has become synonymous with its theme ‘Shop at your best’. Eighteen golden years have passed since the inception of the Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF), the magic key that has opened the doors of Dubai to millions of tourists from across the globe. Dubai is now among the world’s best tourist and shopping destinations. And, as DSF echoes its theme, “Shop at your best”, tourists are truly shopping at their best and returning to their homeland with myriads of shopping experiences. Shoppers at Deira City Centre during the Dubai Shopping Festival on Friday. — KT photo by Juidin Bernarrd A Swiss couple, Achill and Angela Bandi, find Dubai an excellent place to holiday and to shop. “In Zurich, it is too expensive to get winter apparel, even booths, but we find the best there is here at DSF. We never expected this. We came for a short holiday. Now, we are going home with something we can never forget. See, what we found! Not just the best holiday ever, but also branded personal items at giveaway prices, not to mention the chance to win and to feel great if luck turns on our side!,” Achill says. “France is synonymous with fashion, yet here in Dubai at this time, we never dreamt of finding such fantastic and la mode wears that you cannot resist,” says Anais Bellard from Paris. DSF has simply turned Dubai into a haven for domestic and international shopping. Statistics released by the Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE), an agency of the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM), speaks volumes of DSF’s impact on Dubai’s tourism industry. Since it was launched in 1996, DSF has attracted approximately 51 million participants — residents and visitors — who have spent just under Dh130 billion for shopping, hospitality or on entertainment. As the 19th edition is drawing to a close, the DSF’s new initiative, ‘Shop and Win” has already reached sales of Dh400 million. This offers one lucky shopper the chance to win a cash prize of Dh500,000 in participating community centres. The Gold Raffle has generated for Dubai Gold and Jewellery Group outlets a marked average growth of 35 to 40 per cent as compared to their corresponding days of sales in the 18th edition. More so, all the 70 malls and 6,000 retail outlets have registered increases in footfall and sales. Indeed, DSF has lived up to its festive theme, “Shop at your Best”. Carnival Parade at Al Seef Road. — KT photo by Grace Guino How the DSF translates the upsurge of tourists into a bullish economic activity is first seen in the unbeatable bargains, including discounts of up to 75 per cent on all world-class brands across all malls. Dubai has the largest collection of top regional and international brands, which is by itself a major come-on among incoming tourists. “On top of it all, DSF enriches the shopping experience with city-wide music, culture and sports events, something that is unparalleled in the region,” says Laila Mohammed Suhail, CEO of Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE), DSF organiser. “For this year’s DSF, we have put together a fantastic line-up of over 150 events and activities that go hand in hand with the daily shopping done by visitors from around the world.” From the retail sector and travel to aviation and hotel industries, DSF is also causing an upswing in ancillary and support services such as the food and beverage sector (restaurants), financial services (money exchange houses), transportation sector (rent-a-car companies) and other sectors that benefit from the increased number of visitors during DSF. With international tourists bringing in foreign currency into the UAE, the economy gets an unprecedented boost. Ossama Al Rahma, General Manager, Al Fardan Exchange, says that during the first two weeks of the DSF, the number of operations in terms of money transactions, has gone up by 10 to 15 per cent over that of last year’s. “Additionally, the extended shopping hours at the mall also leads to an increase in footfall at the exchange centres located at the shopping malls, leading to an overall positive impact on the currency exchange industry.” As tourists arrive at Dubai’s aiports, the plus factors of DSF begin to work. Salah Tahlak, Senior Vice-President of Corporate Communications, Dubai Duty Free, says as many visitors travel through the Dubai International Airport and Al Maktoum International during DSF, they shop first at Dubai Duty Free before heading into the city. “Dubai Duty Free operates in a competitive retail environment, offering the best products at the best prices and, in addition, provides an excellent level of customer service. The retail sector’s great deals during DSF have definitely generated a positive response from tourists all over.” With DSF still holding the key to open more doors for tourists, Dubai is definitely on its way to reach its goal of 20 million visitors by the year 2020 as outlined in the Vision for Tourism 2020 strategy. Proof of this is the average four million tourists coming every DSF to Dubai. The figures are expected to rise by five to ten per cent during this edition, says Suhail. New DSF markets As part of efforts to increase the number of tourists to Dubai during DSF 2014, DFRE has reached out to a wider audience and new markets across the world including Saudi Arabia, Russia, India, China, Hong Kong and South Africa through the overseas offices of DTCM. “DFRE has also launched a global marketing campaign with the extensive use of geo-marketing technology and social media to get more visitors to Dubai during the current edition of DSF,” said Suhail. To ensure a continuous influx of tourists, Suhail says each DSF edition is meticulously organised to support the growth of the tourism and retail sectors, key pillars of Dubai’s economy. Signature events have now become synonymous with the DSF such as the daily fireworks, carnivals and the line-up of shopping attractions that include the wide variety of discounts, promotions as well as the DSF Mega Raffles. “For the 19th edition of DSF, we have developed different themes to add value to the overall shopping experience. Whether tourists come to Dubai for shopping or for enjoying their vacation in general, these themes ensure that Dubai becomes their most memorable holiday destination in the world. From luxury shopping, art and culture, urban discovery, adventure and thrill and lifestyle to relaxation and rejuvenation, dining, technology and electronics, to family entertainment and events – these themes form the basis of DSF’s tagline ‘Shop At Your Best’, strongly held by its five pillars – At Your Most Welcomed, At Your Most Glamorous, At Your Most Immersed, At Your Most Delectable and At Your Most Joyful,” Suhail explains. Excellent collaboration At the heart of the spectacular success of DSF is the excellent collaboration between the government and private sectors. Among these countless collaborations is the Dubai Gold and Jewellery Group, which has given away over 734kg of gold since the launch of DSF in 1996. But, this 19th edition, the group has put up a gold reward for shoppers of the Expo 2020 gold coins or gold jewellery worth Dh500 with prizes worth Dh6 million. It has given shoppers — residents and tourists alike — a chance to win a kilo of gold and a diamond solitaire ring every day for 32 days of DSF. Sunny Chittilappilly, chairman of the Dubai Gold and Jewellery Group, puts the DSF partnership this way: “The mega jewellery promotion campaign will strengthen our 19-year-old partnership with Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment. Since the launch of both Dubai Shopping Festival and Dubai Gold and Jewellery Group in 1996, both have been complimenting the growth of each other while offering the best value to shoppers during the DSF.” lily@khaleejtimes.com For more news from Khaleej Times, follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/khaleejtimes , and on Twitter at @khaleejtimes Continue reading
Visitors express amazement at ‘Dubai 24 Hours’
Visitors express amazement at ‘Dubai 24 Hours’ Staff Reporter / 17 October 2013 Eid visitors indulge in 24-hour shopping, although spending isn’t as high as expected Spend, shop, then drop Families and visitors have expressed their amazement at ‘Dubai 24 Hours’, the non-stop shopping initiative that is operational at eight leading malls in the emirate as part of the ‘Eid in Dubai — Eid Al Adha’ celebrations. However, although footfalls in shopping malls are on the higher side during ‘Dubai 24 Hours’ people are not buying as much as retailers expected. ‘Dubai 24 Hours’ started at 10am on the first day of Eid Al Adha on October 15 and ends at 10am on the third day of Eid on October 17. The initiative provides shoppers 48 hours of non-stop shopping. Participating malls are — The Dubai Mall, Mall of the Emirates, Deira City Centre, Mirdif City Centre, Dubai Festival City Mall, Oasis Centre, Arabian Centre and Lamcy Plaza. “Yes it is very crowded. People are walking in and out of malls, but are they aren’t buying as much as we expected,” Fatima N, a sales clerk in The Dubai Mall told Khaleej Times. “I am doing longer shifts and it will only be worth it if there are enough customers. As of yesterday and the day before, the sales were just as usual,” she added. A few other retailers in some of these malls expressed similar views. “I think it depends on the sales at the stores. Some stores look more crowded than the others and I think the hardest brunt is on us storekeepers,” added Jerome Abuago, an employee of a store at Deira City Centre. The eight participating malls are offering extended shopping hours during the other days of the Eid in Dubai celebrations from 10am to 2am, and dining hours are running till 3am. The initiative is organised by the Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE), an agency of the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM), from October 10 to October 19. Several other malls including Mercato, Ibn Battuta Mall, BurJuman, Dubai Outlet Mall, Al Ghurair Centre, Wafi and Times Square Centre are offering extended shopping hours during the ‘Eid in Dubai — Eid Al Adha’ celebrations from 10am till midnight with some of them staying opening into the wee hours of the morning. Official sources have stated that shoppers were unanimous in lauding the non-stop shopping initiative. Some of the shoppers that Khaleej Times spoke to said the night is a good reason and excuse for younger generations to stay out. Fouad Al Arbash from Kuwait is visiting Dubai with his family to celebrate Eid Al Adha. Fouad’s family of five daughters, a wife and grandchildren, visit Dubai frequently. “We were here last Eid and we loved it. The ‘Dubai 24 Hours’ shopping experience is a brilliant idea. It’s great to have enough time to shop, and we wouldn’t mind shopping till the morning. However, we have children so we need to get some rest as tomorrow is yet another busy day for us. We plan to shop till 3am.” “The younger generations are the happiest. Look at them, out till 3am and parents are calm because mall environments are obviously safe. For adults its one in the same, but yes, for shopping we do go to stores that have the best sales,” said Keshav Manichandani, an Indian national and resident of Dubai. Fahad Al Baraz, with his wife and daughter, have also come from Kuwait after hearing the ‘Dubai 24 Hours’ shopping experience is back. “My wife loves to shop and my daughter loves to play. Despite the crowds we do enjoy our time during the ‘Eid in Dubai — Eid Al Adha’ celebrations and all that it offers”. Driving to Dubai from Riyadh, Ibrahim Mohammed Nasser and his family were here from day one of the celebrations, which commenced on October 10. “We always come to Dubai, but it’s the first time we visited the city during Eid Al Adha. The ‘Dubai 24 Hours’ shopping experience is really a great initiative. We come here mainly to shop and dine. Yet, my five children come first, so they get priority in terms of locations. Most of the malls have wonderful places of entertainment, and my children just love it. They know where they want to go, and the longer time they spend the better they feel about their holiday. I love to see them enjoying their time off from school while my wife is busy shopping endlessly”. From Jeddah, Um Nujjoud came to Dubai with her three children and her sister and nephews. “The last time we visited Dubai was eight years ago. When we heard about ‘Eid in Dubai — Eid Al Adha’ celebrations we decided to live the experience. As you can see I am thoroughly enjoying my shopping. I just love the mix of brands at the malls.” Ludmiala Gurbativuk and her daughter Kate were on a shopping spree at the Mall of the Emirates. “We are so tired but we need to shop till we drop because we’re only staying for a week. We love to shop here and we will probably keep on shopping till dawn. This is a great idea and tourists like us need it”. Sayed Nasser, who lives in Dubai with his wife and three boys, said: “It’s an awesome experience, and foremost going out to malls unites us as a family, and the longer the better as we get to spend more time with our boys. Although one tends to spend a lot of money, the shopping experience is worthwhile”. Sharjah-based resident Anith, who was visiting Dubai with and his family, said: “My brother came over from Doha to stay with us. We wanted him to go through the experience of non-stop shopping. We are here to shop and entertain”. news@khaleejtimes.com Continue reading
Malayalees celebrate Thiruvonam today
Malayalees celebrate Thiruvonam today Staff Reporter / 16 September 2013 Expatriates from Kerala, who form the largest group of Indians in the UAE, are celebrating their most important festival, Thiruvonam, today. Thiruvonam is the main day of the 10-day harvest festival of Onam that is celebrated by people of all religions in the south Indian state known as ‘God’s Own Country’. Onam marks the mythological homecoming of King Mahabali, during whose reign Kerala was believed to have witnessed its golden era. People of Kerala welcome the king in a symbolic way by arranging flower carpets and with traditional dances and games so as to show they are as content as people in his time. The expatriate Malayalee community’s Onam celebrations also include floral decorations done on the ground called pookkalam as well as life-sized statues of elephants, traditional drum beats, dances and games and more importantly, mass vegetarian feasts called Onasadya . Though it is custom to make the traditional vegetarian feast at home, thousands are having their Onasadya from restaurants since Thiruvonam falls on a working day here this year. Several Malayalees are also taking a day off from work to celebrate the day with family and friends. For those who could not do so, it is going to be an evening of celebrations. Malayalees in the UAE, irrespective of their religions, will continue to celebrate Thiruvonam during the weekends over the coming months, often clubbing their Eid get-together with it. Cultural processions with traditional art forms and dances, pookkalam competitions and mass vegetarian feasts where thousands sit together to have Onasadya served on banana leaves are part of their celebrations. The Onasadya usually features more than a dozen dishes and traditional sweets. Malayalees are particular about buying fresh vegetables that come from India for this meal. Hence, thousands of tonnes of vegetables and fruits are imported from Kerala to the Gulf countries for Onam celebrations. Like in the past, the last-minute purchase of fresh items used for the sadya saw huge demand for these items in the Fruit and Vegetable Market at Al Aweer and several supermarkets and hypermarkets in Dubai this weekend. While families and groups of bachelors prepare the feast at homes, thousands of Malayalees depend on hotels and restaurants for their Onam meals. Several office-goers have geared up to order Onasadya from their favourite outlets today. According to the Dubai Municipality, about 40 per cent of the food establishments in Dubai are run by Malayalees. Most of these eateries are offering special Onasadya with up to 25 dishes. Some of them even fly in veteran cooks from Kerala to prepare their Onasadya which gets sold like hot cakes. One outlet has partnered with a popular radio station to host Onasadya aboard a dhow in Dubai Creek while another one is hosting a cooking contest in traditional Onam recipes. Santhosh Menon, general secretary of Akgma, a residential association of Malayalees in Al Khail, said they distributed Onam kits comprising some essential items to about 500 families during the weekend. Arabian Center in partnership with LuLu Hypermarket celebrated Onam in the cultural way by organising various activities like Kathakali, Shinkkarimelam, Puli Kali, Theyyam, Pookkalam Contest, Mohiniyattam, etc on Saturday. Many other shopping centres have Onam-themed counters and special discounts for the occasion. Readymade textile shops are also cashing in on the festival with some of them making special door delivery of Onam dresses to expatriates’ relatives back home. sajila@khaleejtimes.com Continue reading
