Decoding ‘SALE’ in Dubai’s retail ecosystem

In conversation with Mohamed Feras, Associate Vice President, Dubai Festivals and Retails Establishment to understand more about the retail environment in the region and how are the exciting new ‘sale’ concepts helping amp up consumer sentiments.

How have you seen the sales in Dubai affect retail? Does it create a positive environment for the consumer market?

Dubai’s success as a global retail destination reaches new heights every year with our annual calendar of festivals and events. The 3-Day Super Sale (3DSS) is no exception. Dubai’s biggest shopping weekend continues to be a key highlight for the entire city every year, eagerly awaited by retailers and shoppers alike. The city’s entire ecosystem truly comes together to offer unbeatable bargains for Dubai residents and visitors, with our valued partners working hard to showcase their incredible offerings. It is an equally exciting opportunity for shoppers to take advantage of exclusive discounts and huge savings across an endless selection of leading global and local brands.

How did this year’s edition of 3DSS perform? Any high points you wanted to mention?

This year, we witnessed yet another record-breaking edition of 3DSS. Our partner malls and participating retailers have reported a very positive impact on footfall and strong consumer spend at all leading shopping destinations across the city. We not only saw shoppers browse through Eid gifts for their loved ones and stock up on travel essentials, but also enjoy spectacular savings across fashion, beauty, electronics, homeware, and so much more. We are proud to have brought Dubai residents and visitors endless ways to save across all their favourite brands.

What are your expectations for the retail sector’s performance in the coming months? Especially keeping this sale in mind.

The success of this year’s 3DSS is a great indicator of increasing consumer appetite – particularly as we approach the summer season when consumers have multiple reasons to shop. The coming months are an important time for families and individuals to prioritise shopping for occasions like Eid, extended holidays, and the upcoming school year. As such, we will continue to work closely with our partners to provide Dubai residents and visitors with exceptional value across promotions and seasonal offers, mega-sales and clearance events, as well as exclusive retail experiences and activations. These are crucial to ensure the retail sector remains one of the most important pillars of Dubai’s thriving and diversified economy, supporting the objectives of the Dubai Economic Agenda D33.

Over the years, consumer behaviour has evolved and has brought a very positive environment for the retail landscape. Your thoughts on the recent consumer trends that are changing the retail landscape?

Consumer habits are indeed ever-evolving, and it is imperative for destinations to stay ahead of the curve in order to achieve success. For example, physical retail spaces around the world are increasingly transforming into experiential and immersive hubs where people want to socialise and be entertained, not just where they go for quick visits. Dubai has long catered to this demand, with our iconic malls and retail destinations seamlessly blending shopping, diverse dining, unique entertainment, and even community events all in one location. This also helps us cater to demands for hyper-personalisation, as more and more shoppers expect experiences to be tailor-made to their individual preferences. We are committed to working closely with our entire stakeholder ecosystem to ensure that, together, we create a thriving sector where visitors and residents have access to top global brands, as well as the newest and most diversified range of collections, coupled with exemplary customer service.

How do the sales boost the sentiments of tourists? How do you see this one affecting the tourism industry?

Beyond just 3DSS, our entire annual Retail Calendar is a key driver of Dubai’s tourism success. A robust schedule of sales and promotional shopping campaigns centered around key festivals is one of the core elements of our strategy to enhance the city’s tourism offerings, catering to everyone across various preferences and price points and significantly boosting Dubai’s reputation as a year-round shopping destination. The diversity of offerings is particularly appealing to visitors, who are spoiled for choice across the city’s iconic malls, community retail hotspots, exclusive pop-ups, seasonal outdoor markets, and charming souks. Further enhancing the shopping experience are major global events and family-oriented activities, coupled with the warm spirit of traditional Arabic hospitality, the city’s world-class infrastructure, and easy accessibility made possible through an extensive citywide transportation network.

What can consumers expect from you in the coming months? Do you want to give a sneak peek into any big plans?

Summer continues to be an exciting time to be in Dubai, and this year is no exception. We are working on an exciting programme of events for Eid in Dubai and the highly anticipated Dubai Summer Surprises (DSS) 2024. Full details will be announced in the coming weeks.

Anurima Das