Connecting personally indulging and keeping up with the latest
If you’ve been in the city long enough, you’ve probably been to ARTE, The Makers Market (on Fridays), Ripe Market (currently on Saturdays), The Farmers Market On The Terrace (November to May, on Fridays and Saturdays), and more. ARTE goes by the philosophy — we make with skill and style what we sell, whilst Farmers Market is a community initiative that allows you to buy fresh produce directly from the farmers.
“Ripe Market was founded on the basis of providing small businesses the opportunity to sell their handmade products. We facilitate and create a meeting place for the vendor and consumers,” says Becky Balderstone, founder, Ripe Organic.
Earlier this year, BurJuman hosted a Homegrown Market, featuring a number of F&B, handicraft and local beauty and clothing brands. The idea was to connect the local real estate sector with the creative artisans and start-up sectors.
“Our research division identified that 40% of shoppers conduct their research online and then make a purchase in-store. It has also found that online shopping allows customers to research product reviews and find items easily. However, it can never give buyers the physical experience of touching and exploring merchandise before purchasing it. Additionally, it cannot provide the personal connection between vendor and customer that has defined retail since its very inception. With our newly launched store, we’re integrating in-store technology and the personal element synonymous with brick-and-mortar retail,” says Vikas. Time and again, we’ve fallen in love with the life-size Monopoly game at the Mall of the Emirates. But, there’s a lot more to explore in the world of shopping, including:
Sleepover at a store: “John Lewis in the UK are considered experts in sleep. In Dubai, we recently held our sleep campaign, which kicked off with a number of influencers invited to spend the night in the store, sleeping on the mattresses and experiencing the quality of the pillows and duvets. We could have simply sent out a press release, but because we gave these influencers the opportunity to actually experience the product (while having a lovely time), we’ve positioned ourselves not just as a place to buy things — we’re a name that can be trusted,” says Adosh.
Shopping for groceries at the airport: In April, Spinneys opened up its first landside store at Terminal 1, Dubai International Airport. “Our new store means that we can ensure that families travelling through the airport can get their hands on fresh food to take home, whilst airport workers can indulge in healthy and convenient lunch options at a great value,” says Matt Frost, CEO, Spinneys.
Are you game?: Mall of the Emirates, City Centre Deira, City Centre Mirdif, City Centre Al Shindagha and City Centre Me’aisem (all operated by Majid Al Futtaim) have come up with a range of activities to enhance, entertain and engage customers via the concept of gamification. Customers can roam around the malls to find colourful emoji icons (via an app) spread across the shopping destination. Add to this a virtual reality game or playing FIFA on PlayStation4, and you have a winner.