Zoom convenience stores are slowly disappearing from Dubai Metro stations: Why?

Dubai: For many metro users, Zoom stores were a fixed part of the commute. A predictable stop between ticket gates and platforms. Over the past few months, that familiarity has started to fade.

Several Zoom outlets inside Dubai Metro stations have permanently closed, with shoppers, commuters, and outlet supervisors confirming how BurJuman, Union, and others along busy interchanges are among those affected. In some locations, stores are shuttered with no signage explaining the closure.

Business listings back this up. Branches like the Rove Trade Centre / Al Jafiliya Zoom are now marked “permanently closed,” while others, including Al Ras, appear as inactive or temporarily shut.

ENOC, which owns Zoom, declined to comment when contacted by Gulf News. No official announcement has been made on a wider strategy shift.

Online commuter discussions suggest the closures are limited to metro stations. Zoom outlets at petrol stations across Dubai continue to operate and remain a key part of ENOC’s retail network.

Regular metro users speculate that lower footfall and weaker sales at station-level stores may be driving the change. Unlike petrol stations, where customers often make planned stops, metro retail relies heavily on impulse purchases during rush hours.

Some Reddit users say the trend began in late 2024 and early 2025, with closures reported in Deira, Oud Metha, and older metro locations that had already shut years earlier.

For many residents, the closures are more than a retail change. Zoom stores were part of everyday routines — a quick snack, a coffee refill, or a Nol card payment without leaving the station.

“I’m going to miss their bagel and hotdog offers. It was an easy grab during my commute,” said one daily metro commuter. Another commuter focused on a favourite item, saying: “That Zoom hotdog was so good. I’ll really miss it.”

Others said the stores were not just impulse stops but intentional visits. “I always bought donuts and coffee from Zoom. I live near a metro station and would sometimes go there just for that. It’s sad to see them go,” said a UAE-based resident on Reddit.

Zoom’s metro outlets offered more than food. They accepted Nol cards, handled DEWA and gas bill payments, Salik top-ups, and operated long hours aligned with metro schedules.

A couple of managers of Zoom outlets still open noted that staff from closed stores were expected to move to other Zoom locations.

While Zoom’s footprint inside metro stations is shrinking, empty spaces may not stay vacant for long. Some former outlets are expected to reopen under new operators, with names like Madina Group mentioned for specific stations.

For now, the trend points to fewer Zoom stores along the metro network, reflecting how commuter habits, retail economics, and daily life in Dubai continue to shift — quietly, between train arrivals.