Retail

For many residents, tourists and developers, retail remains a core part of Dubai’s identity. The sector contributes just over one-quarter of the emirate’s GDP and, thanks to a number of mixed-use retail projects in the pipeline, is set to continue expanding. Local iconic malls are constantly reinventing themselves, searching for new brands and...

Due in part to local demographic changes and broader economic factors, retailers in Dubai have noticed an evolution in the profile of the typical consumer. As such, the success of retail offerings in the coming years will depend on stakeholders’ ability to predict new trends in the emirate’s shifting consumer spending patterns. As for the...

While e-commerce has become well established in more developed markets, the segment has been slower to take off in emerging economies. Online purchasing has been held down in these markets by financing, purchasing and logistics challenges. Nevertheless, online sales are growing rapidly in many developing countries in spite of these obstacles....

With new communities to serve, as well as developments that aim to reinvigorate existing districts, some of Dubai’s most prominent real estate developers are increasing the number of retail options available to residents of and visitors to the emirate. In talks with real estate consultancy Knight Frank UAE, OBG learned that total gross...