Retailers expect massive last-day shopper turnout

Dubai: From the sea of humanity sweeping down the platform at Rashidiya Station to the long tailback of vehicles outside Dubai Airport Expo, there were signs aplenty that Gitex is set to witness one last frenzy of spending activity.

The official figures, relating to footfall and sales revenues, are not expected to be released until later this week, but retailers were in a buoyant mood as shoppers thronged the narrow alleyways of the cavernous exhibition centre.

"The last two days are the key; we are expecting huge numbers this weekend. It is about making some noise and giving people a great shopping experience; Gitex is rocking this year," said Lijo Jose, a buying assistant at E-City.

"The event has grown so much over the years; it has developed from an IT exhibition into a full-blown electronics platform. In particular, the trend has shifted this year from notebooks to tablets, especially the Samsung Galaxy and the iPad2," he added.

Sensory overload

With girls in metallic silver dresses handing out leaflets every 50 metres or so and thumping music blaring out from every stall, entering Gitex Shopper is something of a sensory overload.

Retailers clamber over themselves to offer ever more elaborate bundle packages and there is always the risk of having your Achilles tendon battered by an over enthusiastic trolleyboy racing to deliver another batch of laptops to his latest destination.

Herry Dhawan, store manager at the Toshiba stall, however, says the chaos is all part of the experience. "It is very stressful. My staff come in at 10am to prepare for the day ahead and do not get back home until about 3am. They forget to eat and everyone loses track of time; it is hectic but a lot of fun."

Dhawan says the early signs pointed towards a huge weekend footfall, adding that was traditionally the case as most people leave their shopping until the last minute in the belief that the best deals arrive towards the end of the event.

"We will sell more products over the next 48 hours than we have done in the previous six days; that is how important the last weekend is for retailers. We are keen to liquidate products and customers are keen to buy more products; it gets very crowded and we try our best to satisfy everyone," he added.

Enthusiastic

But it is not just retailers anticipating a successful conclusion to this year's Shopper. Consumers are also enthusiastic about securing a bargain.

Ahmad Gomaa, a 31-year-old Egyptian, said: "I am looking to upgrade my computer but the best thing about Gitex is all the extra material you get from the retailers. I also like looking at all the new versions and configurations that are on display as well as all the special offers. This is my second year in a row attending Gitex Shopper and it looks even busier this time round"

Ishita Sharma, 19, from India, added: "There is a huge difference between shopping at Gitex and shopping at one of the many malls around Dubai. This is an international event."