{"id":6267,"date":"2021-08-18T10:22:15","date_gmt":"2021-08-18T10:22:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gzjyws.com\/the-stage-is-set-for-the-gulfs-in-store-retail-recovery\/"},"modified":"2022-03-17T07:33:54","modified_gmt":"2022-03-17T07:33:54","slug":"the-stage-is-set-for-the-gulfs-in-store-retail-recovery","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gzjyws.com\/zh-hans\/the-stage-is-set-for-the-gulfs-in-store-retail-recovery\/","title":{"rendered":"The stage is set for the Gulf\u2019s in-store retail recovery"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
The Gulf\u2019s retail sector has recorded a string of positive gains over recent quarters, suggesting continued momentum behind post-pandemic growth\u2014especially in brick-and-mortar retail.<\/p>\n\n
\u201cThe COVID-19 pandemic did initially impact the physical retail landscape, both locally and globally,\u201d notes Mohammad A. Baker, CEO and Deputy Chairman of international retail conglomerate GMG, and who is also a member of the Advisory Board of Dubai Chamber. \u201cA drop in consumer footfall coupled with social distancing measures, international travel restrictions, and a wider macro-economic slump put pressure on the sector.\u201d<\/p>\n\n
In the UAE alone, studies estimate<\/strong><\/a> that the pandemic cut out AED13.5 billion in sales in 2020.<\/p>\n\n A surge in eCommerce helped to offset the initial pandemic shocks. Earlier this year, Bricklin Dwyer, chief economist and head of the Mastercard Economics Institute, noted<\/strong><\/a> when commenting on the future of retail that the company broadly expects to see \u201ca much faster rate of digitalization\u201d in the Gulf both this year and in the years ahead.<\/p>\n\n \u201cThere is massive potential in the region\u2019s eCommerce space, no question. But that\u2019s only one part of the story,\u201d contends Baker. \u201cBrick-and-mortar retail should not be overlooked.\u201d<\/p>\n\n Emaar Malls<\/strong><\/a>, for example, recently confirmed that for the mall operators\u2019 tenants, their H1 2021 sales were 77 percent higher than during the same period in 2020. Overall occupancy levels at the developer\u2019s mall properties were at 91 percent during the period. Moreover, its tenant sales, including those from locations like the Dubai Mall, were an improvement over H1 2019 figures.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n \u201cConsumers today are not looking for products when they come to a store – they are looking for an experience. Many of these experiences are based on personalized, in-store engagement, and that is what is being delivered,\u201d adds Baker. As an example, the executive cites how all of GMG\u2019s flagship brands are located at the Dubai Mall in UAE, and that the group has already welcomed over 2.4 million customers across its storefronts in the Dubai Mall alone this year\u2014a double-digit percentage rise year on year.<\/p>\n\n The inaugural State of the UAE Retail Economy<\/strong><\/em><\/a> report released this June further suggests that there are clear signs of optimism returning to the region\u2019s consumer market, and that the UAE is predicted to have the fastest growth within the GCC in 2021.<\/p>\n\n Major global brand campaigns have meanwhile returned in force to the UAE. The launch of the Middle East\u2019s first Air Jordan concept store in the Dubai Mall in July is just one example. A new concept by Nike, it includes unique artworks commissioned by famed artists such as Syrian-American artist Jason Seife, and is only the fourth such store to be opened internationally.<\/p>\n\n These collaborations between brands, retailers, and mall operators\u2014as well as new studies into the sector as a whole\u2014signal a positive outlook for the Gulf\u2019s retail recovery.<\/p>\n\n \u201cBrick-and-mortar has long been a pillar of national economies throughout the region across nearly all segments. It still accounts for the lion\u2019s share of all retail transactions,\u201d Baker highlights. \u201cNow is actually the ideal time for us as retailers to push ourselves to go beyond what we thought possible.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The Gulf\u2019s retail sector has recorded a string of positive gains over recent quarters, suggesting continued momentum behind post-pandemic growth\u2014especially in brick-and-mortar retail. \u201cThe COVID-19 pandemic did initially impact the physical retail landscape, both locally and globally,\u201d notes Mohammad A. Baker, CEO and Deputy Chairman of international retail conglomerate GMG, and who is also a… Continue reading The stage is set for the Gulf\u2019s in-store retail recovery<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":6269,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[136],"tags":[151,159],"class_list":["post-6267","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-press-releases-zh-hans","tag-retail-zh-hans","tag-ecommerce-zh-hans","entry"],"yoast_head":"\n