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BurJuman, which stands as one of the popular landmarks in the heart of Dubais business and heritage districts, continues to enjoy its prominent position as a family-favourite destination of choice in the city. As a magnet for both residents and visitors, BurJuman has played a key role in Dubais retail growth since its establishment, by being a valuable proposition for both first-time shoppers, as well as its loyal consumer base through diverse and unique offerings.

Offering families an eclectic portfolio of sought-after designer brands, a year-round calendar of entertaining family-oriented events, a wide selection of dining choices and now a refreshing line-up of new attractions, including the recently opened Carrefour hypermarket and the upcoming VOX Cinemas and a Family Entertainment Centre BurJumans diverse offerings testify to the malls commitment to providing an enhanced shopping experience while providing guests easy access to everything they need under one roof.

As a Strategic Partner of the Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE), an agency of the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) and the organisers of Dubai Summer Surprises (DSS), BurJuman has also contributed immensely to DFREs year-round calendar of festivals and celebrations, including the ongoing edition of DSS. The resounding success of the world premiere of TRANSFORMERS live show hosted at BurJuman and organized in collaboration with the DFRE stands as one of the many leading examples of this enduring partnership. Other DSS attractions such as Modhesh Celebration Show, One Man Band, The Air Crew Show and a host of shopping promotions too have been hugely popular amongst shoppers.

DFREs Media Centre spoke to Leigh Regan, Chief Operating Officer, BurJuman on a wide range of topics including the evolution of the DFRE festivals and their impact on the malls retail targets, its redevelopment growth strategies and Dubais retail outlook.

In his comments, Leigh Regan noted that the longstanding partnership with DSS has helped BurJuman achieve an enhanced retail experience for the entire family in line with Dubais continued efforts to position itself as a year-round family tourism destination. He said that the success of DSS has been nothing short of remarkable, resulting in a spike in both international and domestic visitors across all major store categories and market segments.

Excerpts of the interview with Leigh Regan Chief Operating Officer, BurJuman

How many years have you been partnering with DFRE?

As one of Dubais oldest and best-known retail landmarks, BurJuman has been a key player in the UAEs retail success story and is one of the founding partners of the Dubai Shopping Festival and Dubai Summer Surprises. Our longstanding association with DSS has been an instrumental factor in achieving BurJumans ongoing commitment to provide an enhanced retail experience for all the family one that visitors from the emirate and beyond can enjoy summer after summer.

How do you evaluate the retail market performance in Dubai during Dubai Summer Surprises (DSS)?

DSS has evolved into a much-anticipated summer retail and entertainment extravaganza, and as a partner of the festival since its launch, BurJuman can testify to the role that DSS has played in establishing Dubai as a popular summer shopping destination. DSS gives a huge impetus to the retail sector as the festivals promotional framework with across-the-board sales and discounts supports consumer readiness to spend.

In your opinion, how did DFRE festivals evolve over the years in general and DSS in particular?

DFRE events have helped to position Dubai as a year-round family tourism destination. The Dubai Shopping Festival, of course, is the hugely popular centerpiece of the DFRE events calendar, its success routinely sought to be emulated by cities around the world which have unveiled their own shopping fiestas modeled after the DSF format. The success of DSS has been nothing short of remarkable, considering how the festival has transformed Dubai into a summer destination and managed to reverse the trend of city residents moving to cooler countries to spend their summer vacation. With each passing year, both these festivals have experienced a steady increase in scope, visitor numbers and retail business volume generated. We expect DSF and DSS to remain the key driving forces as Dubai sets out to achieve its goal of becoming the most visited city in the world, as envisaged in the governments Tourism Vision 2020.

What mall initiatives and activities have you planned this DSS to increase footfall?

BurJuman has put together a busy calendar of entertainment events during DSS this year, headlined by the world premiere of a live TRANSFORMERS show The Decepticon Clone - that brings to life legendary characters from the hugely popular series. Our DSS entertainment line-up also features fun acts such as the One Man Band, The Air Crew Show, the Modhesh Celebration Show and a host of amazing shopping offers, making BurJuman the ideal destination for families and friends looking to make the best of a lively summer season in Dubai.

What kind of promotions are you running this DSS?

BurJumans DSS activities go beyond sales and discounts to include special promotions for shoppers. This year, we are offering visitors a chance to win 6 BMW vehicles. Those spending AED 200 in the mall will be able to enter a draw to win one of five BMW sedans and one BMW X5. Shoppers at the mall also have an opportunity to take home prizes worth AED 500,000 through a Scratch & Win promotion.

Who are your target audiences, and how do you manage to attract them during DSS? Can you share with us insights on your marketing strategy?

As well as being the mall of choice for brand-conscious mid- to high-end customer groups, BurJuman has evolved into a complete family destination that today caters to a wide cross-section of shoppers. The mall has a high concentration of luxury brands which makes it a favorite with international visitors and city residents alike, with the right mix of restaurants and cafes to meet the needs of customers of all ages and nationalities. BurJuman also hosts an extensive roster of events and activities, bringing various international family entertainment shows some of them making their world premieres at the mall fashion and art shows, community and edutainment events, in addition to a range of fun activities for kids, to keep mall visitors entertained all year round. BurJumans strategic location in the busy Bur Dubai area, combined with its high-end offerings and excellent connectivity, makes it a valuable proposition for shoppers.

What are the best performing store categories during DSS?

We see a spike in international and domestic visitors during DSS across all major store categories and market segments.

What do you do to make your mall more attractive to international brands with Dubai ambitions?

BurJuman is the home of high-end fashion in Dubai situated in the heart of the city, which makes it a natural choice for international brands seeking to establish a foothold in the citys thriving retail scene. The mall features the only Saks Fifth Avenue store in the UAE and has a high concentration of standalone boutiques for luxury brands such as Louis Vuitton, Dior, Prada, Hermes, Valentino, Dolce and Gabbana, Versace, Fendi, MiuMiu, Cartier and more. It is located in one of Dubais most vibrant residential and commercial zones, and the BurJuman metro station operates as a key connecting junction between the Green and Red Dubai Metro lines which further extends accessibility and the ability to serve the needs of a growing community.

The forthcoming addition of new attractions such as a Carrefour hypermarket, 14-screen cinema and Family Entertainment Centre as part of our ongoing renovation project further enhances the malls appeal as a family destination.

Any CSR activities during DSS?

BurJuman organizes and hosts a busy annual calendar of arts, fashion and edutainment events for the local community, and our CSR initiative Safe & Sound is the cause leader for breast cancer awareness in the Middle East.

During DSS, our focus is geared towards providing a holistic shopping and leisure experience to our customers with an exciting mix of brands, discounts, raffles, promotions and entertainment events that allow shoppers to enjoy some of the best DSS experiences at BurJuman this summer.

What are your future plans? Any plans for expansion or opening flagship ship stores, new brands, unique concepts, etc?

We are in the process of a major redevelopment project to renovate and extend the malls North wing. Key additions as part of the renovation project include new anchor tenants Carrefour hypermarket, VOX Cinemas and a Family Entertainment Centre as well as an extended electrical goods and general retail offering. The new food court will be twice the size of the previous one, introducing several new F&B outlets, and will link directly to the malls South wing. In addition, the malls main exterior entrance will have a complete redesign featuring an al fresco dining area. We expect the expanded customer offering to reinforce BurJumans position as a key player in Dubais retail and entertainment scene.

With all the future projects lined ahead, do you think Dubai in general can accommodate more malls, brands, etc? How do you envision the future of retail?

Dubai is aiming to become the worlds most visited city, with the Dubai Governments Tourism Vision 2020 targeting 20 million tourists and AED 300 billion in tourism revenues annually by 2020. Already, the citys retail industry is estimated to have become as big as the financial and real estate sectors in terms of value, according to the Dubai Economic Department. The impact of the projected massive tourist influx can only mean that the citys retail market is set to continue its exponential growth over the coming years.

BurJumans refreshed customer offering aims to capitalize on this anticipated growth in retail demand in Dubai by providing an all-encompassing family shopping and leisure experience that gives shoppers access to everything they need in one destination.

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