The capital’s malls believe Eid and the Abu Dhabi Summer Season, organised by the Abu Dhabi Authority for Tourism and Culture (TCA), could kick start a retail recovery.
For the non-stop shoppers, Yas Mall is offering 24-hour discount shop-’til-you-drop from June 25 to June 26 during Eid Al Fitr.
More than 300 brands are included in the mega-sale with up to 90 per cent discounts; most stores, including Ferrari World and Vox Cinemas, will be open around the clock. For night owls there are promotions starting after midnight until 5am.
Some retailers believe the seasonal timing of Ramadan and the school calendar will offer a natural lift to the Eid break. “The fact that Ramadan is earlier this year means schools and families are still in the city,” said Hamdi Kulahcioglu, the general manager of Tryano, a department store in Yas Mall.
He said Tryano would only discount by up to 50 per cent because, Mr Kulahcioglu said, the store does not need the massive discounts offered by many stores to drive sales.
“It has been a very challenging year but we have seen our sales grow by 30 per cent. We have had to adjust our schedules and plans to make the most of the retail climate,” he said. “We will start discounting on June 15 and have brought in our new stock early so 22 per cent of the store is now unseen inventory. With higher footfall driven by discounts, we will see more sales of the new lines.”
Bawadi Mall in Al Ain does not have the benefit of the vast discounting of a super regional mall but it also considers Eid as a high watermark in the year. “Of course the timing of Ramadan is beneficial,” said Bassem Saleh, the mall’s marketing manager.
He said the mall is already attracting an uptick in foot traffic with the second half of Ramadan coinciding with school exams ending and families making trips out.
“The TCA is trying to organise a big sale starting on July14 … which kicks off its summer season,” he said, adding that the planning of the sale may have been a little late.
“Many of our retailers will have started discounting at the start of July. It is not easy to start offering more discounts when the inventory and stock levels are not geared to it. It is a nice idea but we need six months’ planning, not six weeks.”
Abu Dhabi’s retailers will undoubtedly feel the benefits of Eid says another major mall.
“This year has been challenging make no mistake,” said James Waugh, the general manager of Abu Dhabi’s World Trade Centre (WTC) Mall.
He said that WTC was not looking to this quarter for retail growth as the mall was undergoing a change in the retail mix with a big value chain coming in to take the space left by House of Fraser.
“We think that Eid will be a big opportunity for many malls because the schools have only just broken up and many families will still be in town,” he said. “Many of the previous Ramadan months have fallen at the height of summer and therefore there is a double whammy for footfall traffic and retail sales.”
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Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
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How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
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Name: Younis Al Balooshi
Nationality: Emirati
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Engine: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
Power: 310hp
Torque: 583Nm
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TRAP
Starring: Josh Hartnett, Saleka Shyamalan, Ariel Donaghue
Director: M Night Shyamalan
Rating: 3/5
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Normcore explained
Something of a fashion anomaly, normcore is essentially a celebration of the unremarkable. The term was first popularised by an article in New York magazine in 2014 and has been dubbed “ugly”, “bland’ and "anti-style" by fashion writers. It’s hallmarks are comfort, a lack of pretentiousness and neutrality – it is a trend for those who would rather not stand out from the crowd. For the most part, the style is unisex, favouring loose silhouettes, thrift-shop threads, baseball caps and boyish trainers. It is important to note that normcore is not synonymous with cheapness or low quality; there are high-fashion brands, including Parisian label Vetements, that specialise in this style. Embraced by fashion-forward street-style stars around the globe, it’s uptake in the UAE has been relatively slow.
Panipat
Director Ashutosh Gowariker
Produced Ashutosh Gowariker, Rohit Shelatkar, Reliance Entertainment
Cast Arjun Kapoor, Sanjay Dutt, Kriti Sanon, Mohnish Behl, Padmini Kolhapure, Zeenat Aman
Rating 3 /5 stars
The schedule
December 5 - 23: Shooting competition, Al Dhafra Shooting Club
December 9 - 24: Handicrafts competition, from 4pm until 10pm, Heritage Souq
December 11 - 20: Dates competition, from 4pm
December 12 - 20: Sour milk competition
December 13: Falcon beauty competition
December 14 and 20: Saluki races
December 15: Arabian horse races, from 4pm
December 16 - 19: Falconry competition
December 18: Camel milk competition, from 7.30 - 9.30 am
December 20 and 21: Sheep beauty competition, from 10am
December 22: The best herd of 30 camels