Dubai Duty Free: A towering pillar of support to Dubai Shopping Festival since inception

By viji Monday, 11 January 2016 5:19 PM

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Dubai Duty Free offers great discounts ranging from 10 % to 50% across a range of products

• Perfumes account for 16.5% of DDF’s sales

Dubai Duty Free has been a long-standing partner of the Dubai Shopping Festival and the scenario is no different this 21st edition, where tourists coming in and out of Dubai will be able to get a taste of DSF right from the moment of their entry into the Emirate until the very end of their visit as they go through Dubai Duty Free.

The Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment  (DFRE) an agency of the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM), the organisers of DSF 2016, has worked closely with Dubai Duty Free, a Strategic Partner of DFRE, to ensure that the great promotions and the lively atmosphere of the festival is something that stays with visitors to Dubai as they go through their first shopping experience upon arrival at the Duty Dubai Free.

With the Dubai Shopping Festival being the largest shopping festival of its kind in the world, it is a great time of year for a lot of retailers to find out what products are the most popular during this season with shoppers from all over the world.

Highlighting the impact that DSF has had on Dubai Duty Free over the last two decades, Mr. Colm McLoughlin, Executive Vice Chairman, Dubai Duty Free, said: “DSF is definitely one of the biggest shopping events that people from all over the world look forward to and it certainly adds substantial value to all segments specially the retail sectors. Dubai Duty Free is the first and last place that DSF visitors have a chance to purchase from and our job is to ensure that we sell to at least 50% of all travelers, so with the increase in DSF passengers, our sales should increase and this is the case.”

“There have been a lot of changes in passengers’ spending habits over the many years during DSF. Earlier, people used to buy mostly the duty free staples such as perfumes. Now passengers have a very high expectation of travel retail and expect to be able to buy almost everything you could think of – such as gold, jewellery, high end fashion etc. The purchase of electronic goods has also risen dramatically and we find that travelers expect to find the latest products on our shelves even if they are not yet launched in the local market. Overall we enjoy the challenge of staying one step ahead of demand and of retail trends.”

“Shopping online is another new development and in 2014 we launched our online service which has around 1,500 products that can be ordered online for collection at Dubai Duty Free, and it is now a growing trend.”   

Of course, the biggest shopping festival in the world also brings with it increases in sales, and in DDF’s case, more tourists. “We do see positive spending patterns for Dubai Duty Free and an increase in consumer spending across all categories during DSF period.  An increase in travel within the wider GCC and Middle East region is also seen due to a fact that UAE is a short haul destination and traditionally is a strong market during DSF,” he said.

Commenting on DDF’s long-standing collaboration with DFRE and the DSF, Mr. Colm McLoughlin, said: “Dubai Duty Free’s continued support to DFRE demonstrated its commitment to playing a significant part in the development of the tourism and retail sectors of Dubai. In turn, the DDF also benefits from its many initiatives like DSF as evident by the large number of visitors who shop at Dubai Duty Free in Dubai International and Al Maktoum International Airport during the event period”.

On events being themed around specific segments of the retail sector – Beauty, Gold and Jewellery, Apparel and Fashion and Perfumes, he said: “I think it’s one of the best ways to connect with those shoppers more effectively. The concept behind themed events is quite straightforward, it will definitely drive customer awareness, engagement and purchase behaviour to all passengers both in Dubai International and Al Maktoum International.

 I think Beauty, Gold &Jewellery, Fashion and Perfumes themes would be most profitable as these are among our top selling categories. While the mainstay of our business continues to be Perfumes which account for 16.5% of our business, we have seen growing demand in other categories as well. High-end fashion is another trend that we have embraced in recent years and the introduction of the fashion Boulevard in Concourse A has been very well received.”

Mr. Colm believes that DSF has grown to a point where it has become abundantly clear that the festival has a great impact on the economy of Dubai, making it incredibly important. He said: “DSF remains a contributor of Dubai's economic and tourism aims, attracting millions of people here and as a result.

“The Dubai Shopping Festival has grown over the years and continues to turn flyers into buyers and generate sales at Dubai Duty Free.”

Mr Salah Tahlak, Senior Vice President-Corporate Communications, said that during DSF, Dubai Duty Free made sure it had a number of new offers and promotions that would win over shoppers: “We rolled out innovative promotions and matchless offers intended at further improving the overall shopping experience of visitors from around the world which includes great discounts ranging from 10 % up to 50% across a wide range of selected products and top brands, including gifts with purchase on some products.” 

 “There is also a discount up to 5% for travelers who choose to use the retailer’s website for online pre-order shopping (visit http://online.dubaidutyfree.com/ddf/) so  they can make their purchase even before they arrived here.”

Mr. Salah has seen great growth due to the Dubai Shopping Festival, and DFRE’s other flagship festivals, saying: “DFRE’s festivals have led to an upsurge in economic activity with retail, aviation, hospitality and ancillary services such as travel agencies reporting brisk business, and DSF has been one of the main pillars that supports Dubai tourism and helps increase stopovers by passengers crossing the globe. It highlights the emirate's position as a leading year-round tourist destination, cementing Dubai its status as the best shopping and entertainment extravaganza in the region.”