Sales outlets expanding in leasing spaces to government and private agencies in order to attract consumers
“Shopping and services together.” A new trend for commercial centers
Commercial centers are no longer just for shopping, but also include government and banking services, and body care salons.
Photography: Ahmed Arditi
Shoppers said that they have recently noticed the expansion of shopping centers and commercial outlets, in leasing large areas to government and private agencies, so that shopping centers become a primary destination for providing many services, without limiting their role to shopping only.
They explained to «Emirates Today», that these services are concentrated in opening branches of major hospitals inside the commercial shopping center, and specialized medical centers to provide beauty services, fitness and preventive health checks, and services for renewing residency and Emirates ID, as well as centers for maintenance of electrical appliances, while commercial centers made available Special areas for practicing different sports, such as: table tennis, football, walking and running.
For their part, two shopping center officials said, "Providing various services to consumers is a new concept and direction for commercial shopping centers, in the framework of intense competition to attract more visitors."
They revealed that “commercial shopping centers have become offering rental facilities, and an increase in the number of payments due for payment to companies and service providers, to attract more consumers,” stressing the importance of providing integrated services to visitors at this stage, especially with the increased trend for online shopping.
Essential destinations
In detail, consumer Yusri Jouda said, "The expansion of commercial shopping centers in leasing large areas to government and private agencies, with the aim of providing services of interest to consumers, has made these centers essential destinations to provide many services, without limiting their role to shopping only."
He added, "He noticed the expansion of commercial shopping centers in services, such as opening branches of major hospitals and affiliated pharmacies, as well as clinics and specialized centers for skin care and beauty services, fitness examination centers, preventive health, residency and Emirates identity renewal services, and others."
He pointed out that most of these agencies provide their services on weekends, which witness crowds of consumers, which increases the demand for them, and for commercial centers in general, and also allows families to shop and practice sports activities while completing these services.
For his part, consumer Yasser Abdullah said, "The role of commercial shopping centers after their expansion in providing services to consumers, from government and private agencies, is no longer limited to shopping only," noting that among the most prominent of these services: auxiliary labor services, and Emirates court services. maintenance of electrical appliances, and more.
Consumer Samar Rabie agreed that commercial shopping centers have become essential destinations to provide many services, without being limited to shopping.
She pointed to the availability of beauty salon services, spas, and fitness centers, which serve as academies for teaching children different sports.
And she explained that «commercial shopping centers provided areas designated for children to play, and to practice sports, such as: table tennis, football, skiing, walking and running, raising the slogan that commercial centers are not only for shopping, but for practicing sports, which increased the demand for these centers and services, especially On weekends.
New concept
In addition, an official in the management of a commercial shopping center in Abu Dhabi, Samir Asaad, said, "The new concept of commercial centers focuses on providing various services of interest to its visitors, and is not limited to shopping only, so that the consumer can finish many services that interest him in the shopping center, At a time when the family has the opportunity to shop and eat at the same time.”
He added, "Commercial shopping centers are now offering rental facilities, increasing the number of payments due to companies and service providers, to attract more consumers, and to build relationships of trust and loyalty with them in general."
Tough competition
For his part, an official in another shopping center, Tawfiq Abboud, said, “Providing services in commercial shopping centers is a new trend, in the context of intense competition between shopping centers, to attract more visitors, in addition to the conviction of shopping center managements that providing integrated services to visitors.” It is a necessity at this stage, especially with the increasing trend of online shopping in the local market.
He stressed, "Experience has proven that attracting entities that provide services to consumers increases the number of visitors to the mall, and provides an opportunity to spend a longer number of hours inside it. It also allows an increase in visits by the entire family, not just one individual, which indirectly supports shopping activities."
• Intense competition between commercial shopping centers and the growth of electronic shopping in support of the new approach to providing services.
• Commercial shopping centers that provide rental facilities, and increase the number of payments to companies and service providers, to attract more consumers.
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