Transformation in retail is constant

Kuwait-based Salhia Real Estate Company has single-mindedly focused on bringing a bouquet of premium real estate offerings to Kuwait City. Starting its real estate journey with the Salhia Complex, the company has undertaken two subsequent projects – Arraya Centre and the upcoming Assima Project. Two common threads are binding the projects – they are mixed-use projects located in Kuwait City.

In an exclusive conversation with RetailME, seasoned Kuwaiti businessman, Ghazi F. Alnafisi, who is the Chairman of Salhia Real Estate Company, talks about the need for constant transformation for retail to stay relevant

“Retail is transforming. These days’ people like to shop online. The need of the hour is for brick-and-mortar retail to transform, to be able to engage with consumers through their preferred touchpoints. For developers like us, we must create destinations as opposed to only meeting people’s shopping needs,” he emphasises.

“We need to put together good cafés and restaurants, entertainment options as well as a rich portfolio of retail brands to be able to pull people into the mall,” he adds. “The ‘mall of tomorrow’ must be experiential. That’s why we have created more entertainment-oriented offerings at our upcoming Assima Mall so that visitors can engage in activities that they can’t do online. Brick-and-mortar retail must inspire. It must be engaging enough to bring people in and make them stay for long in the retail property.”

The article will be published in the March edition of RetailME