Business | Technology
Why there is no escaping the mall
I have been known to complain frequently about the lack of e-commerce here in Dubai.
- By Scott Shuey, Chief Reporter
- Published: 00:35 April 26, 2008
I have been known to complain frequently about the lack of e-commerce here in Dubai.
A typical complaint: why the hell can't I order a pizza online in this city?
It's not exactly insightful or brilliant, but I think it sums up the problem, which is that almost no one in Dubai offers online services.
Well, there are some, so last Monday I decided to see what I could get delivered to my apartment using the Internet. The answer, to my surprise, was quite a lot, but still not enough.
While a good number of websites such as ellamart.com (formally save.ae) and brownbag.com do offer home delivery of a wide variety of items, neither was going to save me the enviable trip to the hypermart, or worse, the mall.
My attempt to buy groceries online came to a halt when I realized that such items as chicken or meat, while on the menu, just weren't available.
My attempt to order dinner was much more successful. The folks at roomservice-uae.com had the smart idea that if business weren't going to allow me to place orders online, they would take the order for me and handle the delivery.
The site contained a menu for restaurants all over Dubai so I was able to just click on what I wanted. While I'll give credit to these guys for taking the initiative to fill a niche in the market, I don't think I'll be using the service on a nightly basis.
Flat charge
While the food arrived in the time promised, there's a Dh28 flat charge for every restaurant you order from. That's not exactly prohibitive, but it's not exactly cheap either. However, depending on the day of the week, it is better than a trip to the mall or fighting traffic on SZR.
And that's what this all comes down to. I know it borders on heresy in this city, but I hate going to the mall. I live within two kilometres of the Mall of the Emirates, but I'd rather have my eyebrows pulled off than fight my way into the mall.
Shopping Festival? I'd rather be hanged by my thumbs. I'll happily sit in the comfort of my apartment and pay someone Dh28 if it means that I won't have to fight with three other 4x4s for the last spot of open pavement in the parking lot.
It's a shame the e-commerece never took hold in this region. It would cut down on traffic, cut down on the time spent in queues, and in general cut down on everyone's frustration.
My only hope in avoiding the malls at this point lies with the telecoms, oddly enough, which are looking at implementing technology that will allow users to purchase items with their mobile phones.
It makes sense. Even as broadband penetration rises, computers are never going to overtake mobile phones in this region as the best way to communicate, and credit has a long way to go in overtaking the region's reliance on cash.
So forget e-commerce, and let's hope the mobile wallet lives up to the hype. My only fear is that shops around the emirate will dismiss the technology, leaving those of us who hate the mall still fighting for the last parking spot.
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