Trading and retail sector contribute 60 per cent to Dubai's GDP, says Essa Kazim

He said that while this sector contributed over 60 per cent to Dubai's GDP, it currently operated at only 50 per cent efficiency in comparison to developed economies.

Mr. Kazim was speaking at the seminar entitled: "The Future of Retailing", which was organized by the Department of Economic Development (DED) today as part of its commitment to members of the DSES. More than 500 people from Dubai's retail sector attended the seminar.

Mr. Ali Ibrahim, Deputy Director General, DED presented the DSES certification and trophy to 25 new members from the retail sector in Dubai, which included retail and service outlets for well known international and regional brands.

"The trading and retail sector is of great significance to Dubai's economy and accounts for about 16 per cent of economic activities in the Emirate. In fact, licences for the trading sector constitute about 72 per cent of the total number of licences issued by the DED every year," said Mr. Kazim in his opening address at the event. "With the strategic plan of Dubai aimimg to position the Emirate as a hub for tourism, we need to work towards sustaining our competitive advantage by offering our customers more than competitive pricing. Seminars of this kind will enable our retail and service outlets to build on their existing strengths and offer enhanced service to customers," he added.

The seminar was conducted by Mr. Paco Underhill, the internationally renowned 'retail anthropologist' and leading expert in the shopping patterns of people. In addition, Dr. Lway Nackasha, Adviser Quality and Excellence at the DED gave an introductory presentation on the DSES, encouraging potential retail outlets to apply for the certification.

"Shopping centers and outlets are often owned and designed by men, but we expect women to shop in them," said Mr Underhill, who detailed shopping patterns and customer behaviour, pointing out discrepancies in marketing trends that lead to inadequate sales.

"During the course of a day on the floor of the shopping outlet, marketers and merchants have access to several tactical opportunities to offer better services to customers and thus improve sales. It is thus important to understand the entire shopping experience and get closer to your customer in order to improve the efficacy of retail stores," he added.

Paco Underhill is the founder and Managing Director of Envirosell, a New York based research and consulting firm with offices around the world. He spoke two subjects including: "Science of Shopping" and "The State of retail and Industry trends." Underhill has often been quoted as saying that: "Today's retail world is ruled by factors such as gender, "trial and touch" and human anatomy." His intensive study of shoppers has enabled companies to understand what motivates consumer behaviour today.