Malls of the UAE: The Dubai Mall exceeds standards in service and delivery, not just size

The latest instalment in our monthly mall-ology series explores the vastness of The Dubai Mall and finds a place that amazes shoppers and retail experts alike, although it does have a couple of problems that arise from its size:

What are the selling points?

The Dubai Mall rewrote the expectations of a retail space. It was guided by the conventions of small cities rather than other malls. This mallopolis includes an Olympic-size ice rink; the world’s largest indoor aquarium; a 155-million-year-old, 24-metre long and 7.6-metre high fossil of the diplodocus longus from the late Jurassic period; a waterfall that falls the full four floors of the mall; and a dancing fountain. Oh, and the world’s largest live crocodile weighing about 749 kilogrammes in a purpose-built enclosure; a 22-screen cinema; an indoor theme park and a kids edutainment complex.

In all, there are about 1,200 shops, 200 food and beverage outlets and 3.77 million square feet of gross leasable area.

It isn’t the world’s biggest mall but it feels like the grandest.

This mall isn’t the attraction simply because of what it offers, it is how it offers it to you. Much like modern city centres the mall has created areas that are quieter, busier, cooler, lighter or louder. A walk round the mall is a sensory experience challenging norms of how a mall should look and feel.

It lies at the epicentre of tourist and residents’ needs, at the base of the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa, and surrounded by Dubai Downtown, one of Dubai’s swankiest areas.

Tracking footfall

In 2014, 80 million people visited The Dubai Mall, more than the Eiffel Tower, Niagara Falls and the Taj Mahal combined. As a tourist destination it is second to none. However, the travails of shopkeepers working in what was previously the Gold Souk – now The Souk – show that retail is not an easy business no matter how many people are in your mall. The Souk is possibly the one area of the mall that is not working even after changes to its retail mix. Now it has a Cheesecake Factory in it, and the 155-million-year-old fossil was, in a humbling gesture, moved from the Mall’s entrance to The Souk’s central atrium, a space that does little for it or its surroundings. It seems that even dollops of sugar coupled with a remarkable sample of our planet’s history can’t breathe life into this section of the mall.

However, this small corner of 50 shops is very much the exception to the rule.

The ground floor – mixed in among department stores, homeware, banks, supermarkets, accessory stands and telecom – houses more food options and international cuisines than anyone could ever wish for. This is a busy high street, with a low ceiling, creating a bustling trade centre answering the needs of everyday visitors.

The upper floors have wide, high and well-lit concourses liberally spread with famous brands and luxury marques interspersed with independent boutiques and coffee shops.

The mall’s size has given it the ability to create areas that feel far from the madding crowd. As I wandered though Fashion Avenue I came across a corridor I had not encountered before – it had a thick carpet running the length of it with deep velour seating throughout. The Ralph Lauren boutique sat at one end with Jimmy Choo at the other (there was a reason I hadn’t been here before) yet it conjured something similar to London’s Bond Street – exclusive, yet open, apart, yet included. As a distraction it had two McLaren super cars sitting on display. This mall knows its customers.

The outlook

Developers say a mall has to add something new every seven years and The Dubai Mall is no exception. The mall’s owner, Emaar Properties, is expanding Fashion Avenue by 1 million sq ft in built-up area and is adding 150 high-end and luxury shops.

One problem is the car parking, which can be confusing and contribute to an extra-long walk at the end of an already long walk. I think many people “lose” their cars in the mall because it is so big, in the middle of a very built up area, that one finds it hard to orientate oneself. Having lived in Dubai since before The Dubai Mall was born in May 2008, I still have no idea what shape it is and, therefore, can be at a loss to which way I’m walking. The car parking, however, is a side issue.

“The whole design of the place is fantastic,” said Matthew Green, the head of research for CBRE. “When we have visitors – people that know and understand retail – they are blown away by the scale, the vision, the delivery and the whole experience. Emaar claims it only has 1 per cent vacancy with people waiting. When the new extension is delivered we can presume the rents will be eyewatering but it has the best leisure offering, probably anywhere.”

A shopkeeper in The Souk area speaks:

“There are very few customers in here, ever. If you want to buy gold, you go to the Gold Souq in Deira where it is cheaper, with more choice. It is only GCC customers who buy in here and not very often.”

Any hidden gems?

Beyond the power brands in Shoe Level is a sliver of a shop called The Cobbler, which one would believe was featured in Diagon Alley in a Harry Potter adventure. Its olde-world charm – the overwhelming smell of leather and craftsmen, probably cobblers, making, fixing and altering shoes. One can get a bespoke pair of shoes made for Dh12,000 here. If you need a last-minute Christmas present, this probably isn’t the place to go.

In conclusion

The Dubai Mall rewrote the retail landscape on a global scale. It didn’t just follow the “biggest is best” mantra, it looked for best-in-class service and best-in-class delivery and exceeded both marques. When Mall of the Emirates opened in September 2005, with its first indoor Ski Slope, the world gasped and then The Dubai Mall came along to take the world’s breath away.

ascott@thenational.ae

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