Second edition of Retail Middle East Exhibition opens at Expo Centre Sharjah

Present at the opening ceremony of the show were Mr. Mohammed Salem Al Mosharrekh, Board Member - Expo Centre Sharjah, Mr. Saif Al Midfa - Director General of Expo Centre Sharjah, officials of various government departments, and members of the diplomatic corps and trade associations.

The Retail Middle East Exhibition is being organised by Expo Centre Sharjah in association with European Retail Institute (EHI) and Point-Of-Purchase Advertising International (POPAI) with the support of SCCI.

The three-day event is showcasing the complete range of retail display and shop fittings including Backroom equipment, Wood/Glass/Metal/Wire fixtures, Gondolas/Hangers, Merchandise storage systems, Showcases, Vending and automatic machines, Shopping carts and baskets, Mobile sales points, Dispensers, Freezers, Refrigerated showcases and equipment, Warehouse fittings and equipment, Heated display cabinets, Food processing and packaging machinery and cold room and deep-freeze rooms.

"The retail sector in the Middle East is currently experiencing an unprecedented growth, thanks to the booming economies of the region," said Mr. Saif Al Midfa after the inauguration ceremony.

"The expansion of the retail sector, however, has brought along intense competition, in the process forcing the region's retailers to adopt new strategies and also pay close attention to customers' search for individuality, customisation of services, and store design details among others,"

he added.

Mr. Saif Al Midfa further said that the Retail Middle East exhibition, which was showcasing the complete range of store design, shop fittings/equipment, retail IT & communication, retail signage, visual merchandising, P-O-P, and retail franchising opportunities for the Middle East retail industry, was primarily aimed at equipping the Middle East retailer with technology and solutions that would help him cope with growing competition in the sector.

The retail industry in the Middle East, especially in the GCC States, is one of the fastest growing in the world. It is estimated that the GCC has a potential of 9.4 million square metres of retail space. Of this, Dubai accounts for a major share. By 2009, retail activities in shopping centres in Dubai are expected to contribute over 50 percent to the country's GDP.

The UAE, which dominates the Gulf shopping mall sector at present, is expected to record a 145 percent growth in Gross Leasable Area (GLA) to 2.7 million square metres or 0.57 square metres per capita by the end of 2006.

There are several new shopping mall projects that are currently underway in the UAE, mostly in Dubai. These include the Mall of Arabia, Dubailand, Dubai Festival City, Dubai outlet Mall, Burj Dubai Complex, Dubai Pearl, and the Walk at Jumeirah Beach Residence.

The Retail Middle East exhibition, with its exclusive and unique show profile, will be a one-stop sourcing platform for the region's relentlessly growing retail industry.

Among the major participants at this year's Retail Middle East Exhibition are Germany's Wanzl Metallwarenfabrik GMBH, Austria's UMDASCH, UAE-based Tensator, Italy's MGM Store Solutions, Singapore's ETP International, UAE-based EMPA Middle East, Eden Industries and Oracle from UK, USA-based Curves for women, and France's Caddie.

Countries from which most of the companies are participating in the current edition of the exhibition are Austria, China, Egypt, France, Germany, India, Italy, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, UK, and the UAE.

Besides cutting-edge concepts, technology, and solutions, some of the other highlights of the Retail Middle East Exhibition this edition are the Retail IT seminar and the Retail Professional's conference.

The IT seminar, which was held after the opening ceremony of the Retail Middle East Exhibition, covered the issues of RFID, Digital signage at Retail, and Retail store and restaurant management software. Among the speakers who addressed the seminar were Mr. Graham Newland, Senior Director, Oracle Retail, EMEA - United Kingdom, who talked about transforming the Economics of Retailing, and Mr. Ahmed El-Ridi, General Manager, of UAE-based Specialized Software Services, who threw light on digital signage revolution in store communication.

The second edition of the annual Retail Professional's Conference will be held on April 18th.

The Conference, to be addressed by leading experts in the global retail industry, will focus on several important issues including global retail trends, impact of customers' emotions on sales, latest developments in retail technology, and strategy formulation and implementation in retail setups.

Among the speakers who will be addressing the Conference are Ms. Kate Ancketil, Managing Director of the UK-based GDR Creative Intelligence, Dr. Christian Mikunda, an Austria-based dramatist and psychologist, and Dr. Lynda Wee, Director of the Singapore-based Centre for Innovation and Enterprise.

Retail Middle East Exhibition will mainly attract potential franchisees, architects, designers, consultants brand managers, retail shop owners, and retail industry professionals from across the MENA (Middle East & North Africa) region.