Organisers of the Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF) are forecasting the 2012 event will surpass last year’s Dh15 billion ($4.08bn) in extra spending on shopping, travel and hospitality.
Speaking exclusively to Alrroya.com, the Chief Executive of Dubai Events and Promotions Establishment (Depe), Laila Suhail said that DSF has “spared no efforts in putting up this year’s show, which is aptly themed ‘Dubai at its Best’.”
“Looking back at the great results of DSF 2011, I can say we have done our homework and in this year’s edition we are aiming at upping the momentum and exceeding it,” Laila said.
Launched in 1996, the fair has expanded to become an annual cultural, shopping and entertainment extravaganza that has firmly put Dubai on the map as one of the world’s top tourist destinations.
Figures released by polling agency Yougov, and commissioned by Depe, show that of the Dh15.1bn netted during last year’s DSF, Dh5.9bn was spent on shopping by regional and international visitors while Dh6.6bn was spent by UAE residents. The survey shows that clothes, fashion items and accessories were the most popular purchases among visiting tourists.
The study, intended to assess consumers spending habits, surveyed 898 international visitors and 1,981 UAE residents throughout the festival period, that run from January 20 to February 20, 2011.
Strategies applied to attract more shoppers
Other international studies conducted have suggested that consumers worldwide have become frugal in their spending as the global economy continuous to weaken, and in view of this, Laila says that DSF has put strategies in place that will lure shoppers back to spending.
“At Depe, we have come up with innovative marketing strategies to attract shoppers, which is mainly based on rewarding the shoppers every day,” she said, adding that “most retailers are expecting strong sales, having offered attractive discounts of up to 75 per cent on some of the major and best brands in the world.
“The fact is that, DSF combines shopping with 32 days of entertainment and leisure activities and offers many chances to win big, providing one of the best shopping experiences in the world that is unique and diverse,” she added.
During this year’s DSF participating malls and retail outlets are offering the best deals, bargains and special offers to entice more shoppers, according to Laila.
“On top of all these, are the shopping-linked mega raffle draws offering unbeatable prizes like luxury cars and gold,” she said.
Dubai was awarded the ‘World festivals and Events City’ honour by the International Festivals and Events Association, and Laila attributes the credit due to the emirate’s position as “a hub for events and attractions in the region, as there are always things happening at any time of the year.”
Prizes include top-of-the-range Lexus LX570 cars
“DSF is about much more than just shopping. It has grown beyond that and now offers a range of other value-added activities,” Laila said.
At its inception, DSF began as a shopping event, but over the years has grown to be an all-round entertainment event, with more than an estimated three million visitors participating each year.
These entertainments include nightly fireworks, fashion shows, acrobatics and street-side performances, musical shows and performances by artists, myriad of cultural events, all of which reflect Dubai’s diversity. Streets and parks in Dubai are decorated in colourful artworks and lighting during the entire month of DSF.
Other major features of the event include daily and weekly raffles, offering irresistible prizes like luxurious top-of-the-range Lexus LX570 car and a Dh100,000 in cash. Dubai Gold and Jewellery Group is also offering visitors a chance to win 21kg of gold worth through raffle draws.
More than 70 malls and over 6,000 retail outlets are participating in DSF this year, Laila revealed.
“Besides the Global Village and retail malls, there are numerous other sectors that are participating in DSF fair, with their own respective promotions and offers to celebrate the occasion,” she said.
“For example, we have more than 20 of the best restaurants of in Dubai participating in the “Dining at its best” promotion, providing special meals and offers exclusively for DSF 2012,” she added.
“In addition to that, hotels have also come out with numerous offers “to entice visitors to absorb the enriching experience of shopping in Dubai including special packages, discounted room rates, a range of entertaining activities, and much more.”
The Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF), also known as 'Layali Dubai' in Arabic, will end on February 5.
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