Retailers in Muscat gear up for end-of-year shopping season

Muscat: In anticipation of increased demand, retailers in Oman are gearing up for the end-of-year shopping season.

City Centre Muscat and City Centre Qurum have teamed up with retailers and partners to offer an unrivalled shopping and leisure experience as well as unbeatable holiday promotions.

“The festive season is a time for families to come together and enjoy, so it is an ideal opportunity for retailers to be innovative and create unique and memorable experiences,” said Husam Al Mandhari, Senior Mall Manager, Oman for Majid Al Futtaim- Properties.

“At City Centre Muscat, we aim to deliver an exceptional experience from the moment they arrive in the parking lot all the way to the time our visitors are back in their car. We added priority parking bays exclusively for parents with babies, toddlers or young children and expectant mothers as well as designated parking for electric vehicles. Also, visitors do not have to worry about where they parked their cars,” he added. “The parking assist facility installed at City Centre Muscat will find it for them.”

Some retailers have designed in-store attractions to turn the last-minute rush into a race for rewards

“Whether it is gifting, or upgrading one’s lifestyle, the festive season has always proved to be a great time. We are very excited to launch exclusive offers in telecom, IT & home appliances categories,” said Suresh Babu, Business Manager at Sharaf DG.

While Najib Haddad, Country Manager of Carrefour Oman at Majid Al Futtaim, Retail, said, “At Carrefour Oman, we always look to offer our shoppers products for every season. We source our items keeping in mind that our customers come from around the world, and our objective is to be a one stop shop for all our shoppers needs, regardless of their requirements.”

Watfa Al Harthy, Senior Mall Manager at City Centre Qurum, said: “The retail landscape has transformed, and consumer behaviour and expectations have evolved. At City Centre Qurum, we create enticing experiences to inspire and connect with our shoppers. We continuously host events that bring families together in meaningful and engaging ways to create great moment for everyone every day.”

The Sultanate is home to more than two million expats. For many of them the festive season is one of the biggest celebrations of the year. The festive period also attracts an influx of holidaymakers.

In December 2017 alone, Oman witnessed an 82.3 per cent increase in the number of cruise tourists to the Sultanate compared to the previous month. Tourism in Oman grew by almost 5 per cent in 2017, according to recent figures published by the Ministry of Tourism, and the Sultanate intends to boost annual international arrival numbers to 5 million by 2040.

This is great news for Oman’s burgeoning retail sector, which is expected to perform well during the festive holiday season.