Dubai: A groundswell of last-minute shoppers are spilling into retail stores to take advantage of the last remaining days of the 21st edition of Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF), say organisers.
And, in the final six-day stretch until February 1, consumers on personal quests for the best deals and experiences of the retail calendar year won’t go home empty-handed, festival officials pledged.
Laila Mohammad Suhail, CEO of Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE), an agency of the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM), told Gulf News in an interview on Tuesday that the best is yet to come in the annual retail showcase.
“The final week has always been special for DSF shoppers as not only do they have a few more opportunities to grab unbeatable deals but they also expect retailers to give even better bargains in the last few days of the festival,” said Suhail.
Strong footfall, with some malls reporting record crowds of over 100,000 shoppers at peak times, is expected to climb even higher in the days to come.
“With over 70 shopping malls and over 6,000 retail outlets participating in the Dubai Shopping Festival, we expect further increases in footfall and sales as shoppers make a final sprint to pick up the amazing deals and participate in the promotions till the last day of DSF,” Suhail said. “Whether it is catching up on all the missed-out action or continuing with the DSF journey that started on January 1, shoppers know that now is the last chance to be a part of the celebrations, to join in the family-oriented activities and benefit from the world’s most rewarding festival.”
The final week of DSF 2016 is welcoming the final theme of this year’s festival — Perfumes — which takes centre stage with events scheduled across Dubai but with the primary focus on Mirdif City Centre.
Deals await bargain-conscious buyers at Market Outside The Box taking place at the Burj Park next to Burj Khalifa.
Dubai consultant Habiba said on Tuesday she has waited to splurge her hard-earned savings until the last week of DSF to find even better deals on fashion and cosmetics at high-end malls in Dubai.
“I know some of my family members who have found good deals so far but a lot of my friends have been waiting for sales to come up later in the month when prices go down even further,” she said. “I wait every year for the festival and usually make a few major purchases that cost a lot of money. The wait is worth it because the savings are quite large.”
British expatriate Susan White said she plans to attend ‘80s band Simple Minds’ concert planned for January 28 as part of the DSF celebrations and thanked organisers for planning events outside the simple shopping experience.
“I’m glad the festival has offered some of us a chance to walk down memory lane,” she said.
On average, 4.5 million visitors chase DSF deals every year spending roughly Dh15 billion over the 32-day marquee event, said DFRE.
Festival creators built the festival upon three pillars of shopping, hospitality and entertainment, a three-pronged mantra that has forged a template for success based upon the numbers. From 1996 to 2014, DSF has attracted approximately 56 million visitors with a total spending of Dh145 billion.
DSF events still to come
January 28 — Simple Minds perform at Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium
Until January 30 — Market Outside the Box, Burj Park, showcasing 80 emerging brands
Until January 31 — Carnival at The Beach JBR will feature jugglers, fire eaters, acrobats, and many other entertainers
Until January 31 — Beatbox at Boxpark will display urban art of beatboxing and other urban influenced styles of music
SOURCE: DSF
