Arabian Centres' malls record 12pc visitor increase
RIYADH, August 19, 2015
Arabian Centres, a leading developer, owner and operator of shopping malls in Saudi Arabia, said its properties attracted more than 15 million visitors during Ramadan, a 12 per cent year-on-year increase.
Mall of Arabia in Jeddah led the way with a 26 per cent increase in mall visitors during the period, said the statement.
Other popular shopping destinations in the Arabian Centres portfolio of 17 malls across 10 cities, including Aziz Mall in Jeddah and Nakheel Mall and Khurais Mall in Riyadh, also saw double digit visitor growth during the holy month, it said.
Simon Wilcock, chief executive officer, said: “We are pleased to report Arabian Centres’ highest ever visitor figures during the holy month of Ramadan. We consider every Arabian Centres property to be a focal point for the local community.
"This is never more evident than during the Holy Month, when our customers are rushing to buy food, gifts, and other necessities for their families. We hope all of our customers had a peaceful Ramadan and we wish them a blessed Eid Al-Fitr.”
Arabian Centres attributes its record Ramadan footfall to the launch of several key initiatives that enhanced the customer shopping experience, said the statement.
For the first time, selected Arabian Centres malls were open for early morning shopping. The innovation was particularly successful at Aziz Mall and Mall of Arabia in Jeddah and Nakheel Mall in Riyadh where the early opening hours led to an estimated 20 per cent increase in visitors, it said.
The company also credited the footfall increase to its high level of social media engagement with customers during the holy month. The mall operator has over one million fans following on its social media channels, including Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, it added.
Yassir Alammar, public relations and communications manager of Arabian Centres, said: “Arabian Centres constantly strives to innovate in order to transform the Saudi Arabian shopping experience in line with international standards.
“Taking into consideration specific customer needs during the holy month, we extended our operating hours to include an early morning shift to enable visitors to do their shopping after finishing Suhour and morning prayers. This resulted in added convenience for our customers and increased sales and footfall for our malls.” - TradeArabia News Service
