Apparel Online India Magazine April 1st Issue 2018 | Page 11

WORLD WRAP
RETAIL BRIEF
talent. Fashion Forward (FFWD)
has become a great platform
with local designers – for both
small and large businesses.
Many international buyers attend
FFWD with the hope of getting
more awareness on local brands.
Arab Fashion Week is another
such forum that was created
two years back, which focuses
on showcasing international
talent. This five-day event brings
together designers from Europe
and beyond. Many fresh faces
among local designers who are
showcasing their work in the
fashion industry include names
like Rami Al Ali, Nadine Kanso of
Bil Arabi and Maryam Hassani,
55FIFTY7 Founder.
Online forums like Namshi.com –
providing high street fashion for
men, women, kids, plus exclusive
brands – are said to be UAE’s
answer to ASOS. The rise of
digital has also put a brighter
spotlight on local talent. “For too
long, consumers who want to buy
fashion online in the Middle East
have suffered from a lack of variety.
Fashion will be at the very heart
of the Noon experience,” states
Mohammad Alabbar, Founder
of Noon.com , a promising online
retail market.
To attain that perfect sync where
fashion meets retail and to ensure
permanence amid uncertainty,
both mall operators and retailers
• Renowned malls with
high footfall continue
to maintain healthy
occupancy, indicating
continued demand by
retailers for units in prime
locations. However, the
delivery of additional
retail supply is expected
to put pressure on
overall occupancy rates.
• Performance of smaller
section neighbourhood
centres remains flat.
These centres cater
to the local resident
population and are able
to ensure continuous
revenue streams.
are diversifying their product
offerings through introduction
of new technologies as a means
of reaching out to customers.
E-commerce rises to be on
the forefront of this evolution.
Seamless Retail Middle East is
the most prominent event for the
rapidly evolving world of retail
technology and shopper experience.
It brings forth new ideas, exciting
innovations and cutting-edge
technology to enable retailers to
adapt, grow and thrive in this new
world of connected commerce. As
the gateway to one of the most
exciting retail markets in the world,
this event makes space for 350
exhibitors, and draws in a crowd of
over 10,000 attendees from across
the Middle East, North Africa,
Asia and Central Europe.
There is no doubt that the
malls in Dubai are remarkable
interms of their architecture,
their special attractions and
the range of top brands present,
but the city also offers a range
of less familiar stores that
add extra depth to the Dubai
shopping experience. In 2018,
the city will see the launch of
new retail format offerings
integrating ‘lifestyle experience’
in its retail space, and social
activities to bring the community
together and promote social
responsibility culture.
• Dubai’s retail sector
is expected to see an
additional 9,00,000 sq.
metre of space getting
delivered over the next
couple of years. This
comes as developers
use retail as an anchor
for their mixed-use
developments.
• E-commerce sales are
expected to account for
US $ 1.5 billion of the
Gulf’s high-end luxury
segment within the next
four years. Considering
that the higher number
of population is under
30, internet penetration
and Governments are
actively focusing on
investing in technologies
and entrepreneurship.
Its online retail industry
is expected to soar
by 2021.
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