Mina District
Middle East & Africa
View Project
Dubai Mall Commercial Strategy
- Client
- Emaar Properties
- Services
- Commercial Strategy & Advisory
- Sector
- Retail
- Location
- Dubai, UAE
Re-thinking one of the world’s most visited malls a decade after it opened
When the Dubai Mall opened in 2008, it set a global position for retail property. Ten years on, Emaar Properties commissioned Benoy’s Commercial Strategy & Advisory team to develop a commercial vision to guide the mall’s next phase of evolution, responding to changing consumer demands, the growing role of digital channels and the emergence of large-scale competitor developments across the Gulf and at leading tourist destinations worldwide. The work ran alongside the mall’s Fashion Avenue and Zabeel Extension development programmes.
Six areas of investigation, global consumer research
The commercial vision was structured around six areas of investigation: global consumer trends and their variation between East and West; the role of art, culture and education in the mall; the changing position of food and beverage; evolving customer experience; format innovation in commercial destinations; and mall zoning and brand adjacencies. The work drew on primary research including in-depth interviews with retail futurologists, trend forecasters, tourism experts and members of the Ebeltoft Group global retail consultancy network, alongside consumer trend analyses across China, Asia, India, Russia, Western Europe, North America and the Middle East.
Strategic recommendations for the next stage of evolution
The work culminated in a set of strategic recommendations on space, flows, propositions and experiences across the short, medium and long term. These covered the ideal format for the mall over the coming five years, the composition and mix of food and beverage, opportunities for cultural, leisure and educational programming, and mall zoning and adjacencies to support a bespoke yet accessible offer.
