Dubai can take more malls

There is a scope for more shopping malls in Dubai, said Tim Jones, COO of, Lamcy Plaza and Arabian Center.

“Well there is scope for new malls in Dubai. Not only that the existing malls are also expanding. Innovation and creativity form the basis of new retail trends to maintain Dubai’s position in the retail sector.

“Malls are providing ‘lifestyle entertainment’ to the customers, which means malls no longer just offer retail spaces and shops, but an experience as a whole. Also it is imperative for the malls to provide much-needed activities in a region where nine months out of twelve need to be spent indoors. The weather condition limits the entertainment and outing options of the residents to visit Malls instead and engage in activities indoors,” Jones said.

According to a study released by Bain & Company, the leading advisor to the global luxury goods industry, Dubai commands around 30 per cent, or £1.8 billion (Dh8.45 billion) of £6-billion (Dh28.17-billion) Middle East luxury market and around 60 per cent of the UAE’s luxury market.
The study said Dubai Mall accounts for around 50 per cent, or Dh4.22 billion, of Dubai’s luxury purchases.

Ramadan sales

Tim Jones said Ramadan fares well for all the shopping malls and retailers – thanks to special offers and discounts announced for the holy month.
“Also the focus becomes more charity driven; therefore there are lot of activities in the malls that keep the momentum going. At Arabian Center and Lamcy Plaza, we always have put our customers first and in their interest we will be keeping our malls open until 2am from 25th onwards so that people can come over with their friends & family post Iftar to have a good time.”

Commenting on sales during Dubai Summer Surprises (DSS), Jones said: “(We) received an amazing response which is better than that of DSS last year. We have analysed our data on the coupon consumption this year and Lamcy Plaza is up by 20 per cent whilst Arabian Center is up by more than 30 per cent.”

He said the Over the years, the purchasing power of people in the region has increased considerably. “To attract consumers to our malls, we have to offer some extra attractions to our audience. For instance, we organized the famous Monte Carlo Circus at Arabian Center which was a huge hit amongst our customers. We also celebrated International Drug Day in association with the Dubai Police which was a massive 3 day event. Such out-of-the-box initiatives help us to always stay a step ahead.”

The shopping malls also ran heavy discount offers to increase football during the DSS.

“The discounts at both the malls varied from 25 per cent to 75 per cent during DSS, whereas each retailer had their exclusive offers and promotions as well. There is definitely a significant increase that we have witnessed for both the malls this year. Lamcy Plaza has recorded a 24 per cent increase in sales and Arabian Center has seen a 31 per cent increase in sales,” he added.

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