Retailers hail DSF 2008 calendar of events

As of now, a majority of Dubai's retailers have registered to be part of the festival in which consumers spent a whopping Dhs10.2bn last year. Organisers are expecting an increase of between 10 and 15 per cent on the figure this year. The last date of registration is January 31.

Suhaila Gobash, DSF Sponsorship Manager said,

"There are only a few more days left for retailers to register with us and the response we've had this year has been nothing short of incredible. Shopping is a key focus for DSF 2008 and we are sure the retail sector will come up with innovative promotions to liven-up shopping this year."

Since the DSF announced its calendar of events, various sources in the retail industry have expressed their satisfaction at the variety of events for DSF 2008, and are especially looking forward to the Weekend Packages, a new entertainment concept brought about by the DSF Office.

"The feedback we received about our events has been remarkable. Everybody is excited about the coming DSF edition. The results of the past few DSF editions indicated a rise in sales during weekends. Hence, the weekend shows were designed to capitalize on these researches," added Suhaila.

Weekend Packages is an innovative ensemble of entertainment events that will aim to attract visitors over weekends throughout DSF. The concept was designed after research showed that a majority of regional visitors chose the weekends to come to Dubai. This new concept is expected to trigger a surge of weekend visitors, with beneficiaries being the shopping malls and DSF shopping venues that will witness a jump in footfall and revenues.

To cope with the number of retail applications, procedures for participating outlets have been simplified. Registration and other formalities can now be completed at the DSF registration desk located at the ground floor of the Department of Economic Department. Registration will be done between 4 and 8pm from Sunday to Thursday and between 10am and 2pm on Saturdays. Alternatively, application forms can now be downloaded from the dsf website at www.mydsf.ae.

Retailers can participate in three categories - DSF Sales, DSF Discounts, and DSF Offers, apart from the DSF Raffles segment that is open to outlets owned by a DSF key or support sponsor. To participate in DSF Sales, retailers will have to fill a letter of undertaking declaring that all merchandise in the store will be marked down by at least 25% from prices prevailing before DSF 2008.

During DSF 2008 (Jan 24 - Feb 24), non-participating retail outlets will not get permission from the Department of Economic Development to conduct any promotion or sale and all participating retail outlets will have to honour their offers throughout DSF 2008.