Your daily dose of caffeine served with the best smiles in Dubai coffee shops

Coffe shops were the most consumer friendly, according to Dubai’s Department of Economic Development. Mike Young / The National

Dubai is monitoring whether service comes with a smile across its booming retail sector in the first survey of its kind in the emirate.

The Department of Economic Development (DED) analysed customer experiences across a number of retail settings and found that coffee shops had the perkiest performance.

Hypermarkets came second, followed by clothing retailers, electronics shops, furniture outlets and then car dealers.

The findings of the study will be collated into a consumer friendliness index while outlets that won the most praise are expected to be named by the department.

“We wanted the rating to primarily focus on consumer experience,” said Omar Bushahab, the chief executive of the commercial compliance and consumer protection sector at DED.

Dubai’s retail industry is booming with mall operators such as Majid Al Futtaim and Emaar Retail reporting record sales as visitor numbers increase and more international brands come to the city. Dubai is the second-most important destination for international retailers behind London according to CBRE, the international property consultancy.

The main purpose of the study was to assess compliance with a consumer code of rights set down in a 2006 federal law.

Ratings were based on consumer opinions of individual outlets tracked over a period of nine months through to last December. Consumer complaints received by DED were also taken into account.

Consumers were asked to evaluate outlets based on service quality, billing transparency, and sharing of warranty information by sales staff. The survey drew on the feedback of nearly 3,400 people.

The department hopes that classifying shops on the basis of consumer friendliness will promote service excellence and boost competitiveness.

It comes as the retail sector assumes greater importance as one of the emirate’s key economic pillars that were targeted for investment in the wake of the global financial crisis. That led to a greater focus on sectors such as trade, logistics and retail.

“The retail sector being a major driver of economic development in Dubai this sector should reflect a high level of service quality and transparency that Dubai promotes as the hallmarks of its competitiveness,” said Mr Bushahab.

The UAE rose two places to fifth position in the 2013 Global Retail Development Index from AT Kearney, the management consultancy.

“Demand continues to grow in Dubai, even as it is fully saturated with global brands,” said the report. “European concepts are fully represented now and no longer represent a way for malls to stand out. Demand is now shifting to American concepts and food and beverage.”

Jones Lang LaSalle, the property consultant estimates that Dubai’s gross leasable area will jump by as much as 14 per cent by 2015.