Brief introduction:

Dubai mall is considered to be one of the largest malls in the world having 5.6 million sq/ft of retail
space, 1200 plus stores and 160 food and beverage restaurants. As it is so massive in size, it offers
merchandise and outlets (165 international stores) that are not available at other retail stores in the
Middle East. This is one of the most fundamental attribute that differentiates Dubai mall from other
competitive malls like Emirates etc.

Factors in retail mixes related to Dubai mall:

The case of Dubai mall deeply emphasizes on some retail mixes that holds immense importance.
Previously retailing was just about putting in hard core prices so that shoppers can shop. Now, it is
about encouraging customers to come out of their homes and treating them like a king. The
attention that was put on inventory previously is now diverted towards the customers (Dealing with
them and making choices for them). In the era of power centers and online retailers, the
environment has become extremely competitive for shopping malls in attracting customers.

Firstly, the main theme that retailers and shopping mall owners use now is the mix of retailing and
entertainment (retailtainment). It is a practice of attracting customers on the basis of entertainment
and dining. These days the shopping perspective has become family oriented and for youth it has
become a practice to kill time. Retailtainment has become a widely used practice all around the
world and is a distinguishing factor among the shopping malls and online retailers. Dubai mall is in
accordance with the trends of retailtainment environment and is offering Olympic size ice rink,
Aquarium, Discovery center, indoor themed park “Sega Republic’ and huge fashion avenue
dedicated to international brands along with a platform for fashion shows. Retaitainment has
become a driver and motivating factor for shoppers to come out of their homes and visit shopping
malls. Apart from this, the purpose of cross shopping is also fulfilled at Dubai mall.

Secondly, though managing retail complex and retailtainment overshadows the importance of
selecting a location for the mall but still it remains a key factor in determining the success and failure
of a retail store. Dubai mall’s strategic location gives it an edge which no other competitor would
ever achieve. It is situated around 5 star hotels and beside the tallest building in the world (Burj
Khalifa). The key point to note here is that Dubai is known for tourism and 5 star hotels along with
one of the largest malls and Burj Khalifa would be an ideal spot to stay for the tourists. This is indeed
very helpful for Dubai mall in generating traffic and attracting a large number of customers. On the
other hand Dubai mall is an out of town retail store for the tourists and according to a study when
consumers go to an out of town malls/retail stores, they are on a mission to spend money.

Thirdly, Spatial interaction theory works best for the Dubai mall. It states that consumers will not
always go to the closest shopping area that will give them the products they need, but will
sometimes sacrifice longer distances in order to go to a larger shopping areas with more options.
This theory puts emphasis on the assortments and variety that Dubai mall holds. Since it has even
those international stores which other malls don’t, so it has become a source of attraction to even
those who live far away from that mall and are willing to sacrifice the notion of time and distance for
the shopping experience at Dubai mall.

Conclusion:
Among all the factors of retail mixes mentioned above, the variety that Dubai mall offers is the most
important and distinguishing factor. We can see that retaitainment and location perspective are
those which everyone follows these days but the notion of having variety that other stores have
along with additional variety in terms of international stores which other retailers don’t have is a
competitive advantage which cannot be overshadowed easily.

Dubai mall being the center of attention in the Middle East caters to individuals with various cultures
and ethnicities as it caters to a large number of tourists as well. Therefore, the strategy to put in a
large variety and assortment stands out among the other factors of retail mixes.