Dubai: With the peak holiday season sales cycle looming closer on the horizon, the UAE’s retailers have been getting innovative with the ways they reach out to their target customers. Even with all the noise being made about digital approaches, retailers are still using some time-tested marketing tools to get the word out.
The regional franchisee of Toys “R” Us has just done so using that most traditional method — by bringing out a print version of the season’s catalogue. Surprisingly, this is the first time it has done for these markets.
“This was purely a Toys “R” Us Middle East initiative. We could always have done things earlier ... however, you have got to start somewhere as you cannot complete a journey unless you take the first step,” said Sam Ghori, General Manager for Toys “R” Us Mena (Middle East and North Africa), at Al Futtaim, which is the franchisee. “Albeit traditional, it still continues to be very popular. More and more retailers are doing pictorial prints to communicate with customers and it continues to be an extremely effective tool. We planned for the launch to coincide with the festive season.
“The response has been great [and] will be an annual release from here on and available in all markets where Al Futtaim operates Toys “R” Us stores.” Interestingly, Al Futtaim Group’s retail operations already have form in bringing out catalogues which have gone to acquire a committed following, with the annual release of the Ikea one being one of the highs of the local retail season.
Away from printed catalogues, the retail market here is starting to see a lot more of “pop-up” stores. “They do have a seasonal flavour in that the promoters try at creating maximum visibility for a brand over a set time frame,” said Mustafa Adam Ali, Managing Director of Nabeel Perfumes Group. “It works for a new label that has just been introduced or to create awareness about a concept. It’s less about sales than about making themselves known.
“And unlike kiosks, which have to be confined to a set location, pop-ups have flexibility in where they can be. That’s one of their biggest USPs (unique selling points).”
According to Hugo Van Der Schaegh, Director for Consultancy and Retail Architecture at Retail Access, “With so many means and methods to pay for products, retailing is becoming a communication channel to connect customers with brands, as much as it is a shopping destination. To this end, pop-up retailing allows a company to create a unique environment that engages their customers and generates a feeling of relevance and interactivity.”
But pop-ups cannot be deployed for all brands to have the same impact. “Typically, those brands that have a premium profile do not engage in pop-ups,” said Ali. “Instead, they would prefer the permanence of a stand-alone store because their typical shopper prefers to be in a particular ambience.” Nabeel Perfumes operates 29 outlets in the region and is planning on 30 more, and recently opened a distribution office in New Jersey for the US market.
The UAE retail space is gearing up for one of its biggest end-of-year seasons ever. Market feedback suggests that sales generated from visitors are starting to pick up momentum after a relatively slow summer. New high-end retail space in Abu Dhabi is being instantly absorbed into the broader marketplace. Renewed confidence among domestic shoppers is starting to make its presence felt by way of higher spending on discretionary items.
