Dubai Summer Surprises begins at 14 malls

posted on 22/06/2011: 111 views

Dubai Summer Surprises' 14th edition is set to take over the 14 participating malls Wednesday, getting residents through the summer with retail bargains and a flurry of entertainment.

Spread over five weeks, shoppers will be able to retreat to air conditioned interiors and grab bargains from the 6,000 participating retail outlets while enjoying the usual entertainment components.

In the last couple of years, DSS sales took a slight hit due to the fall in consumer confidence following the economic downturn. Spending in malls during DSS 2009 fell 10 to 15 per cent. In 2010, sales picked up slightly with participating malls reporting Dh440 million in total sales during the first three weeks of the event.

"The increase in sales is a reflection of growing consumer confidence in the economy and the success of our DSS campaign," said Majid Al Ghurair, chairman of Dubai Shopping Malls Group in an earlier interview to Gulf News.

However, while it's too early to predict sales figures for this year, retailers are optimistic. In a recent Nielsen study, the UAE was ranked the eighth country globally in terms of regaining consumer confidence — one of the few countries that had a double-digit increase.

Mall operators such as Neelesh Bhatnager, director of the Oasis Centre, says they are expecting an increase of 20 per cent from last year.

The event was started as an initiative to boost tourism and sales during the slow summer months. Now, over a decade later, the summer event has evolved to include entertainment and educational events alongside the usual shopping bargains.

One of the most prominent components of the festival is the brightly coloured mascot Modhesh who, in the weeks leading up to DSS, can be seen popping up along highways and on bridges. According to the organisers, Modhesh is a toy which is supposed to represent the idea of giving gifts.

Surging ahead

• 6,000 outlets participating in Dubai Summer Surprises

• Dh440m worth of sales in first three weeks last year

• 20% sales increase expected at this year's event. – Gulf News

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