Abu Dhabi: Retailers in some leading shopping malls in the capital are complaining of poor sales during the extended Ramadan timings where shops have to remain open until 2am, failing which they will be fined.
Most malls now operate from 10am to 1pm and from 8pm to 2am.
“There is hardly any business after midnight. But we are forced to remain open till two in the morning,” complained a mobile shop owner at the Abu Dhabi Mall.
A jewellery trader who did not want to be named said his staff get bored due to lack of business in the night and often feel sleepy after midnight.
“They want to go home as there are no customers after midnight. It makes sense. But the mall management will fine us if we close before 2am,” said the Arab man.
Fines imposed by the mall vary from Dh5,000 to Dh6,000, said sources at the mall.
Other retailers at Abu Dhabi Mall who spoke to XPRESS on condition of anonymity said following complaints from retailers, the mall management agreed to revise the closing time to 1am from the previous 2am. The new timings came into effect from July 6.
Circular
A copy of the circular issued to retailers by the mall management, obtained by XPRESS reads, “Further to Ramadan core hours, I would like to inform you that based on the feedback from retailers and assessment of the footfall in the mall in the late evening, I have decided to revise our opening hours.” The revised timings are from 8pm to 1am during weekdays and weekends. Only F&B outlets will remain open till 2am. The mall management was not available for a comment.
However, when XPRESS checked with retailers at other malls in the city, many of them said the extended timings do not essentially convert into business.
“On weekends, we have to remain open till 2am from eight in the evening. We do it out of compulsion not because sales are good,” said a garment trader at Marina Mall. He said mall visitors are not interested in shopping after midnight. “My staff is asking for overtime payment. But I am not making any profit in the extra hours,” he said.
A Marina Mall spokesman said: “The extended hours have been agreed upon with the Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority to give customers the flexibility of shopping for longer hours between iftar and suhour. Our customers enjoy the extended hours as it allows them to do their shopping and other leisure activities they are unable to do during the day as well as watch the World Cup games at our F&B outlets after iftar.”
