As Dubai malls reopen retailers find partial relief and new opportunities – The National

As Dubai malls reopen retailers find partial relief and new opportunities – The National

Mall operators and tenants continue to ramp up online presence in the face of challenges like decreased footfall and a slowdown in retail activity. As Dubai joins other major cities worldwide in easing restrictions imposed to contain the spread of the coronavirus and re-opens shopping malls, retailers are breathing a sigh of relief but also adapting their businesses by ramping up their online offerings to attract customers.. After being shut for nearly a month, Dubai malls are allowed to open from 12pm to 10pm at 30 per cent capacity.. With stores being the lifeblood for every retailer, it is important to provide confidence to customers that it is safe to come back to shop.. Many retailers praised the government's move to reopen the malls and emphasised steps taken to comply with health and safety requirements.. The pandemic forced mall operators and retailers like Alshaya and Carrefour to widen their e-commerce operations given the uncertainty of when restrictions might ease.. But Mr Linardos of the Retail Leaders Circle said online shopping remains a very small portion of sales in the region. ". With rent accounting for the majority of their fixed costs, "retailers are faced with survival decisions", Mr Linardos said..