Taylor Scott International News
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 Taylor Scott International
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