Loyal visitors to Deira City Centre are being rewarded this month during the “Be a Smart Shopper” campaign. The more you shop, the more you win from now to 21st.

Shoppers will receive instant prizes, including vouchers from participating retailers, Deira City Centre GiftCards, and much more simply by shopping at the mall. To participate, shoppers will receive a stamp for every certain amount of money or more per receipt shopped in a participating store per day. Upon completing five stamps, participants get a scratch card revealing their instant prize. In addition, completed cards can also be entered into a raffle draw for a shopping spree.

The loyalty program was specifically developed to reward residents in the Deira City Centre surrounding community that regularly shop at the mall. In addition to the in-mall promotional materials, direct mail was sent to local shoppers to let them know about the campaign and give them their first stamp for free - underscoring Deira City Centre’s keen understanding of their customer base and commitment to offering smart shopping choices for residents.

“Now in its fourth year, the “Be a Smart Shopper” campaign has been a huge success and Deira City Centre is happy to reward our loyal customers with opportunities to win some great prizes,” said Fuad Najjar, Senior Asset Director, Asset Management, Shopping Malls. “We pride ourselves on continuously giving back to and rewarding visitors for their support of the mall. This campaign is just one example of our commitment to the local community.”

With even more shopping options this year due to the recent opening of new retail outlets and the convenient Metro Link, there is no reason not to “Be a Smart Shopper” this April. Facebook fans can also get in on the fun by printing out their first stamp for free.

Now is the ideal time to pick up all of your summer wardrobe and homewares necessities! Be a “Smart Shopper” and be rewarded by Deira City Centre today.

Players will perform in the main atrium from 6 to 10 pm daily

Al Ain, UAE, 29th March 2012: Bawadi Mall, the largest shopping mall in Al Ain city is set to host exciting bar gymnastic shows in its huge main atrium from March 28 to April 6, performed by a renowned group of international gymnasts from 6 to 10 pm daily.

Khalid Shraim, Senior Marketing Manager, Bawadi Mall, said: “These performances will coincide with our “Win Daily” campaign. In addition, the mall will host other shows during this period to add the entertaining element to the shopping experience, which is expected to attract more than 1.5 million visitors until the end of “Win Daily” campaign on May 6.”

“The weekends will be different for Al Ain visitors and its suburbs. We expect visitors from Oman as this period of the year has now become part of the people’s culture living in this area,” Shraim added.

Bar Gymnastic is a sport in which players perform acrobatic moves using frames made of fibreglass with wood coating, or less commonly wood. This kind of sport is highly dependent on the human stamina and in case of group shows it depends on harmony between players.

“The 10-day show will cover two weekends which was planned to give people a chance to plan their visit. Al Ain in general is becoming a preferred location for people in the UAE, as people are increasingly looking for something different. We ensure that they don’t have to drive endlessly to find parking or pass through circuitous pathways before entering the mall, because Bawadi Mall has been designed to offer easy quick access from its many entrances,” Shraim concluded.

International shoppers spent nearly half a billion dollars in Dubai during this year’s Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF), with a dramatic increase in the spending volumes by Russian and Angolan visitors, according to figures released today.

The figures show the total inbound Visa card spend in the UAE between January 5 and February 5 this year amounted to US$497m, a year-on-year rise of 22 percent compared to the DSF 2011.

The average spend per day during the month long extravaganza was US$15.5m, with sales reaching a peak of $20m .

Last year, British buyers were the most lucrative shoppers, but the slowdown in the UK economy has obviously hit the purse strings as they have been overtaken by the Russians and Saudis at the top of the rankings.

The Visa figures showed a dramatic rise in spending by Russian shoppers this year, up 356 percent to US$122m, while Saudis splurged US$106m, an equally impressive 169 percent. While the British fell to third place, they still put US$92m in purchases on their Visa cards, an increase of 108 percent.

Topping out the top five were the Chinese and Americans, while Angolans increased their buyers power from US$11m to US$36, an impressive 219 percent increase.

In terms of categories, lodging was the single biggest expense, with US$112m, a welcome result to landlords across the emirate who are struggling with a glut of new apartments and sluggish rental rates.

Travel and entertainment accounted for US$35m, restaurants US$9.4m and airlines just US$6m.

“It’s great to see DSF 2012 having such a strong impact on the local economy, despite the current global financial challenges,” said Karim Beg, head of regional marketing for Vvsa for Middle East and North Africa (MENA). “Over the years, DSF has really helped put the UAE on the map, attracting visitors from all over the world to take advantage of the great promotions on offer. This year’s success proves yet again the ongoing popularity of the shopping festival, and of the UAE as a leading international shopping destination.”

UAE gaming enthusiasts to battle out on Xbox Pro Evolution Soccer videogame

Release Date: 26th March 2012

In the tradition of Jacky’s Electronics’ exciting gaming competitions in the UAE, the company is launching the fifth edition of My Kind of Gaming Competition 2012 happening from 29th to 31st March.

The gaming competition is open for all gamers in the UAE to battle out one another in the popular football video game Pro Evolution Soccer 2012 on Xbox 360.  In partnership with Microsoft and Samsung, the gaming competition will be held at The Dubai Mall and Mirdif City Centre outlets with two qualifying rounds.

“For years, we have consistently providing various ways to connect and interact with our customers by holding competitions throughout the year. The gaming community in the UAE has been growing at a steady pace and we have always been supporting it by introducing the latest gaming equipment in the market,” said Ashish Panjabi, Chief Operating Officer, Jacky’s Electronics.

“Football or soccer has been among the popular sports in the UAE and the Pro Evolution Soccer game has a huge following worldwide even in the country. We are excited to see who will reign supreme and be crowned as the 5th Jacky’s Electronics Gaming Champion,” he added.

The preliminary rounds will happen on 29th and 30th March at Mirdift City Centre and The Dubai Mall outlets respectively, which will also include a knock-out game in the evening wherein all winners for that day will compete with each other. The quarter-final and semi-final rounds will be held from 4-6pm and 6-7pm respectively at The Dubai Mall outlet with the final rounds happening from 7-8pm.

The grand prize winner will take home an Xbox 250GB, Kinect, two games and a Samsung 46-inch LED TV. The first runner-up will receive an Xbox 4GB and a Samsung 40-inch LED TV while the 2nd & 3rd runners-up will also get an Xbox 4G and a Samsung 32-inch LED TV.

All interested participants can register until 26th March by sending their name, date of birth, mobile number and preferred preliminary location and date, to marketing@jackys.com or to any of Jacky’s outlets in the UAE.

The Pro Evolution Soccer 2012 is the 11th and latest football simulation from Konami. For more information on contest mechanics as well as the latest deals and promotions, please log on to Jacky’s Twitter and Facebook pages on www.twitter.com/jackysuae/ and www.facebook.com/jackysuae/ respectively.

The campaign will continue until 6th of May, with international offering vouchers to daily winners

Dubai, UAE, 25th March 2012: Bawadi Mall, the largest shopping mall in Al Ain city, has launched its fourth “Shop & Win” promotion in which shoppers who spend AED 200 enter a daily raffle draw to win Bawadi Mall vouchers which can be redeemed at any of the 360 outlets in the mall.

The leading mall in Al Ain has announced that these offers will continue till 6th of May and will be the biggest in terms of tenant participation and shopper numbers.

Commenting on the event, Khalid Shraim, Senior Marketing Manager, Bawadi Mall said: “We have carefully organised this campaign to meet both customers’ and tenants’ expectations. Many visitors expressed their interest in this yearly campaign and the footfall is really promising in the first few days.”

“What is really attracting visitors is the fact that the campaign has been designed after studying the spending habits of mall visitors to reward them throughout the 51-day campaign,” he added.

A wide range of the mall tenants were involved in this campaign which forms part of the management’s planned marketing strategy. The campaign is expected to attract more than 1.5 million visitors, which reflect an increase of 10 per cent compared to same period of last year.

“Bawadi Mall is poised for further growth in the coming years as people are increasingly looking for something different. We ensure that they don’t have to drive endless to find parking or pass through circuitous pathways before entering the mall because Bawadi Mall has been designed to offer easy quick access from its many entrances,” Shraim said.

“Shop & Win” is now part of Al Ain residents’ shopping culture as people save to spend during this period. We promise that the fourth edition will offer many surprises from international brands for the first time in the campaign,” he added.

Dubai Investment Properties (DIP) announced that Sweety, an internationally acclaimed chain of designer abayas, has opened its brand new boutique at Sunset Mall in the Jumeirah area.

Sweety offers its clients impeccable designs by fusing traditional elements with modern styling. Over the years, the brand has garnered a fan following that includes celebrities and other dignitaries.

“We launched Sweety back in 1999, and since then have observed tremendous growth in our business. Our popularity continues to surpass the realm of glamour with a new age of elegance. Our designs are fresh and trendy, maintaining the highest quality and attention to the details. We prepare customized abayas for all our prestigious clients using the finest of fabrics, exquisite embroidery, hand beading and Swarovski elements,” said Ms. Michelle Amarnani, Marketing manager at Sweety.

Speaking on their choice of location, Michelle Amarnani said, “Sunset is a stunning mall, situated in central Jumeriah. We wanted to give our existing, and new clients the opportunity to have the Sweety experience without venturing out too far. Sunset caters to the young, trendy, and fashion conscious Arab ladies, and we are certain that with our new boutique here, our clients are going to have an extremely wonderful shopping experience.”

“We are glad Sweety chose Sunset Mall for their expansion in the region. Sweety is a successful brand and is renowned for its exquisite designs and VIP clientele. We welcome them and extend our full support in helping them take their brand to even greater heights,” says Mr. Deepak Chawla, Operations Manager at DIP.

Dalma Mall, the shopping and lifestyle destination in Abu Dhabi, has signed a leasing agreement with Alshaya, one of the Middle East’s leading international franchise operators, to open 37 new retail outlets covering a predominate part of its retail portfolio in the mall.

Under the agreement, which was signed by Mr Rashid Doleh, Executive Director of Dalma Mall and Mr John Hadden, Senior Vice President, Retail Property for Alshaya, Dalma Mall will house a wide range of brands, spanning over 173,000 sq ft of retail space. Representing approximately 11 per cent of the total leasable area of Dalma Mall, the new brands will encompass fashion, lifestyle and F&B outlets, with many making their presence in the capital for the first time.

Due to open in the last quarter of 2012, the stores occupying the mall will include clothing and accessory brands H&M, Debenhams, American Eagle Outfitters, Victoria’s Secret, Mothercare, Next, and Express; F&B outlets Pinkberry, Potbelly Sandwich Store, Shake Shack, Al Forno, and Starbucks; and lifestyle stores Bath & Body Works, Pottery Barn, Pottery Barn Kids, MAC and Boots Pharmacy, among others.

Mr Rashid Doleh, Executive Director of Dalma Mall, said, “The partnership with the Alshaya Group underscores Dalma Mall’s commitment to provide visitors and residents of Abu Dhabi with an unparalleled shopping experience, by bringing some of the world’s foremost retail brands under one roof. Alshaya’s repertoire of brands is a strong draw for our visitors, and this is reflected in the extensive retail mix that Dalma Mall will offer. With the sequence of events and rapid rate of progress, Dalma Mall now represents the most promising investment opportunity for the region’s retail community for the immediate future in the capital.”

He added: “We are extremely encouraged by the current average daily footfall of over 15,000 visitors which reaches over 19,000 on weekends. We expect this to increase dramatically as more stores open. With a gross leasable area of 1.6 million sq ft, Dalma Mall delivers to the capital city a unique collection of synergetic brands and a truly world-class retail consumer experience.”

Commenting, Mr John Hadden, Senior Vice President, Retail Property for Alshaya, said:, “Alshaya is delighted to confirm its partnership with one of the UAE’s most important new malls and we look forward to introducing some exciting retail concepts to Abu Dhabi. We know that our mix of leading international brands will appeal to local shoppers and their presence in the mall will support Dalma Mall’s goal of creating a dynamic retail destination for its visitors.”

With over 60% of its total leasable area of 1.6 million sq feet already leased, Dalma Mall has signed strategic partnerships with major groups such as Apparel, Landmark Group and Al Futtaim, among others. More than 60 outlets are open already including a large Carrefour Hypermarket, Centrepoint, Home Centre, Fun City, Max, Emax and Matalan as well as a host of specialty stores.

Recording an average month-on-month footfall growth of 35%, Dalma Mall is all set to register a surge in visitor turnout with a large number of anchor stores opening later this year including Marks and Spencer, BHS and Toys R Us.

Abu Dhabi’s largest Cineplex, the 14-screen CineRoyal Cinemas offering over 2,200 seats and unprecedented cine-going experiences, has also opened at the mall, underlining its appeal as a must-see shopping and entertainment destination in the UAE capital.

Al Ghurair Centre, the first modern shopping mall in the Middle East, has kick-started its signature 10-day Al Ghurair Styling Event which runs from March 22nd to March 31st 2012.

Mukta Sabharwal, Manager PR and Events, Al Ghurair Centre, said, “We are excited to launch our fashion and styling event exclusively for our female shoppers who have been loyal to our mall for many years now. We will be offering 10 days of pampering and styling in a relaxed setting where women can mingle and chat, exchange fashion tips, get insider styling ideas from our fashion stylist Farah Kabir and ultimately discover their individual beauty.”

“We will host a number of free-to-attend sessions covering a range of fashion and styling hot topics. Additionally there will be opportunities to win amazing makeovers over the duration of the event through Al Ghurair Centre’s ‘Visit and Win’ promotion,” Sabharwal added.

Well-known stylist Farah Kabir will give shoppers a once in a lifetime opportunity to transform their wardrobe, and signature style. Farah has styled for big-budget Hollywood movies such as the Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol blockbuster and world-class brands such as Nike, Tag Heuer, Harvey Nichols, De Beers and Cartier. She started her career working at avant-garde boutiques such as Demeulemeester, Yamamoto and Comme des Garcons before entering the world of styling. She is also a graduate of the prestigious London College of Fashion.

Daily sessions will be held at the ground level of the mall to provide shoppers with expert advice, fashion fusion tips and question-and-answer rounds in private ‘Women Only” coffee gatherings.

Top up your good looks every day with a choice of fresh masculine fragrance. Fragrances are as much part of the fashion industry as clothing and anything else a man would use to enhance his looks for the day. Fragrances are glamorous, exciting, explosive, and of course romantic. Fragrances are also an easy gifting option for men, for any occasion, mostly because they use fragrances a lot. Men wear fragrance for work, for leisure and also for the romantic night out and they like to make a particular fragrance as their signature fragrance.

Beautybay introduces another fragrance choice for men called Rockford Homme Acqua sport fragrance. The concept of this new masculine fragrance is to get the freshness  of the former Rockford Homme Sport  extreme, in a summer  and light fragrance. The fragrance starts with spakling citrus notes  enhanced by the mastic green touch. It consists of preciouse  boisé notes,  cedar  wood, patchouli and vetiver, joint with the  musk and  amber  sensual comfort, and also traces of floral-spicy note with rose wood, Jasmin, nutmeg and incense.

The fragrance also makes a unique gifting option for men and is priced at AED185

With its seventy years of history, Boggi Milano - a leading menswear retailer inspired by Italian lifestyle - has undergone a process of evolution, becoming one of the strongest and fastest developing retailer of its kind in the world. Boggi operates over 110 stores worldwide, and has recently entered new key markets including Paris, Moscow, Munich, and Budapest, expanding its international development.

Future plans involve launching new branches in several metropolitan cities, airports and railway stations.

Boggi continuously focuses a great deal on details as it creates Boggi’s exclusive ambience. Through its elegant and dynamic style, Boggi Milano offers its customers a wide collection of quality and style at affordable prices.

During the last few years, Boggi Milano has undergone a process of evolution and modernization. Today Boggi Milano does not only focus on men’s formal attire. The new collection offers businessmen and professionals more causal, comfortable items whilst maintaining a touch of elegance and charm.

Milestones

Since its inception in1939, Boggi has landed a great number of successes. In 1964, the first mono-brand store was launched in Milan, and Boggi began its development of a retail network where customers could choose among items from both the formal and casual collections. The eighties and nineties saw the brand’s expansion and growth in Italy.

In 2003, a strong international development began which led to Boggi’s presence today in Europe (Italy, UK, France, Germany, Spain, Austria, Switzerland, Croatia, Hungary, Greece), Middle East (Lebanon, Kuwait, Qatar, UAE, Bahrain, Jordan), India and Russia.

In the following years, Boggi Milano plans to further expand its retail network into America, Europe and Asia.

Boggi Partnership with AZADEA GROUP

The expansion of the Brand in the Middle East due to the very successful and well established partnership with Azadea Group, has enabled Boggi Milano to inaugurate stores at 12 of the most distinguished Shopping Malls in the region.

The Dubai Mall Opening

On March 1st, 2012, Azadea launched the 4th Boggi store in the UAE at The Dubai Mall - level 1, making it the 12th branch in the region, and the 1st to represent Boggi’s new concept.

The all new fit-out concept is characterized by the elaborate details and shades applied throughout the store’s interior. New elements are displayed throughout, evoking the sixties brought fully up-to-date with the highly innovative finishing. The color palette, composed of rosewood and ivory coating, is enhanced by the dark rifle-gray color of steel and the eye catching wallpaper. The changing rooms were intricately decorated in wall fabric with a silk-shantung effect and rosewood “boiserie.”

Middle East & North Africa Expansion

In the upcoming 2 years, Azadea plans to double Boggi’s presence in the Middle East by opening 14 new stores, making Boggi Milano a key player in menswear fashion. The Group will be introducing the 3rd Boggi store in Qatar at Lagoona Mall in May 2012 with a new concept that reflects Boggi’s casual line, and the 3rd branch in Lebanon at Le Mall Dbayeh in July 2012.

Future plans aim at Boggi’s expansion into new Markets like Egypt, Morocco and Tunisia and at a later stage, Central Asia.