We spent the first part of the morning with David Orgill from Alshaya - one of the leading names in International franchise retailing in the Middle East. Alshaya has a portfolio of over 62 middle market and luxury retail brands. David provided a very insightful background to the local market and to some of the unique cultural sensitivities of the Middle Eastern consumer. From our boardroom discussion, David then took us on a guided tour through Ibn Battuta Mall, a very unique mall that is divided into different themes from six countries: China, India, Persia, Egypt, Tunisia and Andalusia. Here, David pointed out the brands under Alshaya ownership/management and called upon a number of store managers within them to discuss their experience in Dubai, with the brand itself and, of course, with Alshaya.
After the formal tour, the group had the opportunity to discover the Ibn Battuta’s many rows of small, eclectic shops with the help of a golf cart shuttle, which was a big relief to most of us! We then travelled with David to one of the largest shopping centres in Dubai, the Mall of the Emirates. We leisurely strolled through more than 200 shops, including the world’s most successful international chains, luxury brands and boutiques - unfortunately the group did not have time to experience skiing in the indoor ski slope! We were, however, provided with a detailed tour of the Debenhams store, also an Alshaya franchise in the Middle East, followed by a brief discussion with store management. If the 2 malls were not enough, a small group of us then travelled to Deira City Centre, another shopping mall located near to the Deira waterfront. Deira City Centre is spread over three floors, with over 350 stores, however is a little dated in comparison but full of local Arabian character and culture! Overall, this was a very insightful and interesting day, with the bonus of some free time for shopping!
This same evening, a group of us experienced a traditional Middle Eastern buffet dinner at Al Muna in an area called Souk Madinat Jumeirah. This vibrant area is bazaar-like, lively and entertaining with waterfront cafes, bars and restaurants as well as traditional souk stalls selling homewares, jewellery and fashion items. We took an Italian-style gondola to Al Muna, from where we could see the beautiful and famous Burj Al Arab - a sight for sore eyes!
M. H. Alshaya presentation
M. H. Alshaya presentation
Mall of Emirates - Debenhams
Ibn Battuta Shopping Mall
Thursday 28 August
Day 2 in Dubai begun with a visit to Harvey Nichols, located in the Mall of the Emirates. We were warmly met by store manager, Michelle Issa, who guided us through the recent store refurbishment and discussed at length the unique success factors of operating an international brand in the Middle East. Interestingly, Harvey Nichols spoke of their tailored product range, marketing communications, and even loyalty scheme that needed to be adapted from practice in the UK. Although a lifestyle luxury retailer, the move to Dubai brought with it new meaning to the word ‘luxury’, which the market has redefined to be more about personalised indulgence in the best life has to offer. This was clear as we walked through the Harvey Nichols store and learnt about its many related and successful luxury services such as personalised shopping and a tiered loyalty scheme. Employee reward and recognition, marketing events and customer research were also talking points in our discussions with the Harvey Nichols team. The group was very satisfied with this visit and even more so when parting with a bag of chocolates, reading materials and confectionary – there were no complaints!
Later that afternoon, we were met at our hotel by 4WD’s to embark on our Desert Safari and BBQ Dinner experience. Half an hour into the drive, we stopped to deflate out tires and take a group photo against the backdrop of the Arabian Desert. The ride through the desert was like an exhilarating rollercoaster ride and we eventually stopped on the highest sand dune to view the beautiful sunset and take in the breathtaking views. We continued our “dune bashing”, passing a number of popped tyres and camels until we finally arrived to the Arabian Nights Campsite in the heart of the desert. Here, we were treated to a very delicious and filling buffet of meats, salads, falafel and tabouli. The rest of the evening was spent taking part in various local activities such as sand boarding, camel rides, smoking shesha pipes, riding quad bikes, and dressing up in traditional wares. Adding to the atmosphere of the night was a captivating belly dancer who taught us how to dance to the rhythm of Arabic music!
Harvey Nichols presentation and store visit
Harvey Nichols presentation and store visit
Dubai Desert Safari and BBQ Dinner
Dubai Desert Safari and BBQ Dinner
Experiencing the local culture…
Experiencing the local culture…
Friday 29 August
Friday was spent travelling from Dubai to Madrid, where we were greeted by our bus driver who took us straight to our Hotel. We arrived in the late afternoon so we had some time to explore the city and the abundance of retail and Spanish lifestyle that it had to offer!
