Make a life, not just a living
The Middle East has always been a region that places high importance on family values. However, recent studies show that there is an increasing imbalance between time spent at work versus quality family time. Centrepoint, Middle East’s largest fashion retailer, conducted a survey last year that showed over 48 percent of respondents claimed that they do not get sufficient time with their family. This year the brand surveyed over 500 people across the region and found that close to 40 percent state that they’ve missed out on a special occasion due to work obligations.
Research has shown that close bonds to family and having a strong emotional support system have a significant positive impact on our health. Centrepoint has taken it upon itself to encourage families in the region to balance their priorities and make time for loved ones to celebrate the upcoming World Family Day on May 15th The region’s leading retailer understands the benefits that quality family time can have on an individual’s well-being and wants to play its part in the happiness of its customers across the Middle East.
In these tech-drenched, immediate-gratification days, individuals are in a constant need to be living in the fast track and striving for successful career growth. With many parents working longer hours, there is lesser time spent with children. The recent survey also showed that over a fifth of the respondents have less than one meal a day with their families, leading to loved ones complaining that they do not get to spend enough time with them. Studies have shown that a start of a healthy work life balance is having a meal with your children away from distractions such as the TV, video games and cell phones. This goes a long way in encouraging conversations that you would like to, or need to have with your children.
Among the respondents surveyed, an overwhelming 96 percent live with families. This continues to be a popular trend in the region and the numbers are significantly higher than families in the Western world. However, despite a high rate of individuals living with families, lack of quality time spent with family continues to be an issue that can be addressed. However, it is heartening to note that a majority of the respondents claimed that they treasure meaningful one-on-one time spent together with family. In particular, parents surveyed said that balancing your priorities as parents also teaches children to bring balance to their lives. Centrepoint’s latest initiative, #MakeTimeForFamily highlights the most important factor in balancing your priorities through a campaign that stems from the brand’s continued work in support of families in the run up to World Family Day. Centrepoint has partnered with Fun City to gift free rides passes across stores in UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain and select stores in KSA for every purchase made on 15th May. Simon Cooper, Head of Centrepoint, says,” It wasn’t always the case where I realised how much I have been consumed by work obligations until I started missing on important events. Promising my personal time to my family at least once a day is important to develop that quality time with them. I want my children to start balancing their priorities and we at Centrepoint have always encouraged our loyal customers to never take quality time with family for granted and create irreplaceable memories.”
The brand is sharing family conversation series on social media to show different scenarios of parents putting their families first, and is also launching a video contest on social media encouraging fans to share their own shared family moments as short videos, in order to win family vouchers.