The Big Leap

Middle Eastern malls are about big business—really big. So are their marketing schemes

Stand at any Western petrol station these days and, if you listen carefully, you can almost hear the echo of Middle Eastern economies clicking as fast as the pump. With oil prices trading high, indicators across the Gulf region are pointing to one thing: a continued boom in all sectors, including retail.
At the forefront is the UAE, and particularly Dubai, where seasoned developers such as Majid Al Futtaim Group, Emaar Properties and Dubai Holdings are turning out new mega projects or announcing expansions of existing properties at a rate that hadn’t been seen in years.
Judging by the design plans and merchandise mixes put forth, the trend is toward large schemes that cater to not only local privileged shoppers with a growing taste for luxury brands and expectations of shoppertainment, but also tourists seeking refuge from the blaze of day in the cool air of their favourite boutiques. Likewise, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and other countries in the region are in building and upgrading mode, hoping to capitalise on a growing local population as well as regional tourist footfall, which improved transportation links and market integration should help boost.
Like their colleagues in the financing and leasing departments, shopping centre marketers are being forced to keep up with this harried pace of development. For one, new schemes need to be branded and promoted. Then there are the existing properties that are either expanding or re-positioning themselves in the marketplace to please much savvier consumers whose needs aren’t always easy to pinpoint.
Many shoppers are certainly intrigued by the Western mall model, with its brand name stores, pre-packaged entertainment, amenities and eateries. Still, it would be a mistake to assume that all local realities and values are completely lost in the marketing mix. In fact, it wouldn't be so strange to witness female shoppers in traditional dress enjoying a couture fashion show before heading into a mall’s women-only prayer room. It’s up to marketers to ensure these loyal customers find both under one roof.
Here are some of examples of how these shopping centre marketers keep shoppers coming back.

A Stylish Affair
When Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF) celebrated its 10th installment, the upscale Burjuman shopping centre marked the event in grand style.
Taking on the concept of "Perfect 10" to demonstrate the quality of its fashion offering, Burjuman developed a series of special events, theme decor and prize packages to attract affluent UAE residents, as well as brand-aware tourist shoppers from the Gulf Region (mainly Bahrain, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia), Europe, North America and Asia.
Burjuman put on Dubai Fashion 2005, which showcased the breadth of the world of fashion—ranging from the creations of promising young designers to international haute couture styles and trends. The budding couturiers had an opportunity to display their designs at the Creations event during the first week of Dubai Fashion. The second week was dedicated to discovering the collections of 12 designers from the region. The third week focused on top fashion brands at Burjuman, while the final week featured high-end and world-renowned fashion at The One & Only Royal Mirage.
Dubai Fashion spoke to consumers’ pure enjoyment of fashion, while another aspect of Burjuman’s celebration lured them with the prospect of big wins.
Committing 1.4 million AED (£217,000 or 322,000 EUR), Burjuman held a promotion offering shoppers a chance to win 10 mega prizes at two draws and a grand prize package, all with one raffle coupon. Among the prizes up for grabs were two CLK 20 Mercedes Benz convertibles, a 240 Mercedes convertible, a diamond jewelry set worth AED 100,000 (£15,500 or 23,000 EUR) and other luxury gifts.
"Every year during DSF we aim to reward our shoppers, especially our key audience, the family, and the package of spectacular prizes that we are offering this year will provide yet another unforgettable experience for them at Burjuman," said Majid Saif Al Ghurair, president of Burjuman, when the DSF programme was unveiled on 9th January.
"We want DSF shoppers to know that shopping at Burjuman is the key to moving on to the winning track."
Held in January and February, the Dubai Shopping Festival attracts 2.5 million visitors to the city and generates up to 25 percent of annual sales for centre retailers.

Rolling out the Purple Carpet
Royal Plaza opened with much pomp and circumstance in Doha, Qatar, this past 4th January. None other than His Highness Shk. Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani, Emir of the State of Qatar, presided over the opening ceremonies, walking on the purple carpet (to match the mall’s signature colour) and cutting the official ribbon before taking a tour of the facilities alongside mall managers and then enjoying a cocktail reception.
The opening provided lots of dramatic special effects, thanks to the wizardry of agency Euro RSCG Promopub. Two gazebo stages with classical musicians ascended from the lobby to a height of six metres, while smoke, dancing lights and artificial snowfall dazzled the audience.
The opening was an ideal setup for the mall’s first theme event, which took place on Valentine’s Day.
Adopting the slogan "Romantic Shopping with Style", Royal Plaza and its retailers got decked out in deep purple and red with the help of a commissioned artist who produced various themed decorative elements to create a Valentine’s Day ambience. Then, during the week of 7th to 14th February, Royal Plaza offered an entire themed programme for shoppers. Among the most creative schemes were:
• The Gentleman’s Checklist to help male shoppers plan the perfect Valentine’s Day;
• Fresh rose corsages, which the resident flower shop produced for mall and retail store employees to wear;
• Romantic strollers decorated with red hearts for little shoppers;
• Heart Candy Girls dressed in red gowns walked the mall with heart-shaped baskets to hand out heart candies to all female shoppers; and
• The Scent of Romance, which the mall achieved by supplying retailers with oil burners and rose oil.
Located in the heart of the city, Royal Plaza comprises of three retail levels housing 105 boutiques, a movie theatre, banquet room, food court and children’s entertainment centre. Royal Plaza prides itself on its attention to customer needs, offering a wide range of services—from limousine transport to mobile re-charging.

The Ladies Kingdom
Marketing perception is creating a unique shopping reality at Kingdom Centre in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. In a land where women are known to walk a very specific line, Kingdom Centre is inviting shoppers to step into a niche marketing bubble, the Ladies Kingdom.
Located on the second floor of the centre’s Al Mamlaka mall, the Ladies Kingdom aims to "create a private and relaxing atmosphere" for female shoppers. It is entirely managed by women and counts more than 40 stores, including anchors Saks Fifth Avenue and Debenhams.
As would be expected, all retailers are female focused and offer everything from fashions and traditional cloaks to beauty products and jewelry. The Ladies Kingdom also houses eateries, an entertainment centre, the Samba Bank ladies branch, a ladies mosque and more.
Shoppers enter the Ladies Kingdom from either a dedicated entrance or Al Mamlaka (this is done through a main staircase, and escalator and two panoramic elevators that are accessed only by females).

Devoted to Youth
A group of six youths will hone their skills this summer, thanks to Kuwait’s Tamdeen Real Estate Management. This past May, the shopping centre developer announced its support of the LoYac Program for Youth. Conducted under the auspices of the Lothan Youth Achievements Center, LoYac was created by a group of concerned Kuwaiti mothers who wanted to help the country’s youth reach its fullest potential, encouraging responsibility, productivity, leadership and skill development to serve the local community. The six youths will be mentored as trainees in various departments during Tamdeen’s summer part-time programme.

Taxi!
The taxi drivers who pull into Deira City Centre’s City Gate area are usually looking for passengers, not a free lunch. But twice a year, the Dubai shopping centre offers them just that as a thank you for the service they provide to the 50,000 shoppers who visit daily.
On these taxi appreciation days, Deira City Centre’s management staff hands out more than 500 lunch boxes to the drivers, offering them a choice of either vegetarian or meat meals, as well as fruit and a drink.

Eat & Win
Mega Mall in Sharjah Emirate is rewarding food patrons for their loyalty this summer. Until 31st July, customers who spend 20 AED (£3 or 5 EUR) between noon and 5pm at any eatery earn instant prizes from Antic’s Land, the mall’s indoor theme park. That’s in addition to many chances to win gift vouchers, family dinner packages, a Playstation 2, hotel and resort stay, computer training courses and a Yamaha Banshee Quad bike.
To develop the promotion, Mega Mall partnered with Yousuf Motors, Akkad, Holiday International Hotel, Toy Corner, Chili’s and Antic’s Land.

Home Turf
ABC Beirut Mall has joined a major campaign to restore confidence in its country of Lebanon as a prime tourist destination. Called Sayf Lubnan, the campaign began this June with ABC and six other major Lebanese companies addressing representatives of Gulf and Arab countries which have had strong tourism bonds with Lebanon. Among the tourism marketing strategies the seven partners propose is to highlight Lebanon’s fabled attractions by reviving summer activities to attract visitors.
ABC has planned an entire roster of musical performances for the month of July, with acts that include R&B Beirut.

Alma Mater
Dubai Festival City won’t launch its initial phase for another 15 months, but the mini-city will open its doors to students as early as this autumn.
In September, owner Majid Al Futtaim Group will formerly introduce two new private institutions, Deira International School (DIS) and Universal American School (UAS), which will respectively offer a British and an American curriculum in state-of-the-art facilities built on large campuses (75,000 square metres for DIA and 65,000 square metres for UAS). The schools, which are managed by Educational Services Overseas Ltd., will offer some classes in Arabic language.
Tuition for the schools will be in par with Dubai Festival City’s high-end retail offering, costing parents between 18,000 AED (£2,790 or 4,140 EUR) and 44,000 AED (£6,820 or 10,120 EUR ) per child annually.

Treating Shoppers
To mark its sixth birthday, Town Centre Jumeirah in Dubai, UAE, planned a series of events. From radio contests and live performances to competitions and mall décor, there was something for everyone, young and old. The first child attending the festivities was promised a birthday party for six at Showbiz Pizza, while the other five would win various gifts. In addition to birthday gifts from various mall retailers, adult shoppers could also win up to 25 birthday presents for their friends over a year by presenting their receipts at customer service and signing the giant birthday card at the mall entrance.