Retail
From The Report: Dubai 2019
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There are few destinations more closely identified with retail than Dubai. Indeed, its duty-free and low-tax shopping is one of the hallmarks of the emirate. Dubai is home to some of the world’s largest malls, most diverse retail outlets and most value-added shopping experiences, with everything from giant aquariums to ski-slopes adorning its air-conditioned retail spaces. Various substantial projects are set to come on-stream in 2019, with established centres also seeing new extensions and refits. Meanwhile, a range of special events, such as Black Friday, White Thursday and Cyber Monday, have extended the shopping calendar far beyond the original Dubai Shopping Festival, which will also extend its running time from four to five weeks in 2019.

This chapter contains an interview with Colm McLoughlin, Executive Vice-Chairman and CEO, Dubai Duty Free.

Articles from this Chapter

Overview

Shopping centre: Dubai is set to hold onto its position as a retail leader, despite continuing challenges
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There are few world cities more closely identified with retail than Dubai. Indeed, its duty-free and lowtax shopping is one of the hallmarks of the emirate. Dubai is home to some of the world’s largest malls, most diverse retail outlets and most value-added shopping experiences, with everything from giant aquariums to ski slopes adorning its air-conditioned retail spaces. Various substantial projects are set to come on-stream in 2019, with established centres also seeing new extensions…

Interview

Changing dynamics: Colm McLoughlin, Executive Vice-Chairman and CEO, Dubai Duty Free, on the changing profile of consumers and the emergence of e-commerce
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Interview:Colm McLoughlin How have changing source markets affected the traditional shopper profile in Dubai, and what does this mean for retailers? COLM MCLOUGHLIN: The traditional shopper profile has changed considerably in recent years. Not only has Dubai grown to become one of the most visited cities for tourists but also a haven for luxury retail. Evidence for this can be found in the number of malls that have come on-line in the last decade. The most significant change to have occurred…

Analysis

Reactive strategies: Despite sector growth, some retailers have adopted tactics that respond to greater consumer caution and lower budgets
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While Dubai’s retail space continues to expand and adapt to global trends, recent years have seen some particular external challenges for the local sector. A sustained period of low oil and gas prices, starting in 2014 and continuing into 2018, has impacted sentiment and disposable incomes in many Gulf states, while economic slowdowns in Asia and elsewhere have also hit tourist and expat pockets. At the same time, the sector has had to absorb the introduction of value-added tax (VAT),…

Analysis

Taking the lead: The e-commerce market is consolidating and new solutions are being found to long-standing obstacles
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AT Kearney predicts that the e-commerce market in the GCC will reach $24bn by 2020. The UAE is currently the biggest market in the region when it comes to online shopping, although the management consultancy predicts it will have slipped to second place by 2020, with Saudi Arabia, by far the most populous market in the region, taking the lead in the sector. Within the UAE, Dubai has also been a leading light in sector rollout, generating many of the online platforms and innovative ideas currently…