1 Double team
City Centre
The Muscat City Centre/Carrefour association is on top of the brand charts for the third year in a row
POINT
The eight million customers who flocked to Muscat City Centre in 2005 established in no uncertain terms the brand power that its name, invariably attached to Carrefour here, possesses. There is also a RO23mn expansion plan, which will include Oman’s first multi-storied car park
COUNTER POINT
The inconvenience, albeit temporary, that the ongoing renovations are causing, and the pathways within with car displays and kiosks, make MCC seem cluttered.
QUOTE CALL
Ibrahim al Qasmi
General Manager,
Muscat City Centre
“These days people want a total shopping experience under one roof. The more you provide them with under one roof, the more successful you will be.”
TRIVIA
Carrefour opened
its first supermarket
in Annecy, Haute- Savoie, France, in 1960 |
2 Attracting footfalls
LULU
Lulu is working towards a pan Oman footprint. And the effort is paying off in full measure
POINT
Lulu Hypermarket added two big format stores in Sohar and Darsait taking the number of hypermarkets in Oman to three. Its ad spend is the largest amongst all shopping centres helping recall.
COUNTER POINT
Lulu faces stiff competition from its bete noire Carrefour. Its impression as a shopping chain which caters primarily to a sub-Asian clientele is changing, albeit slowly. It needs to watch out for an expanded
City Centre.
QUOTE CALL
V Nandakumar
advertising and promotions manager,
Emke Group
“Apart from using traditional press and electronic media, we also use the door-to-door delivery system for our promotional leaflets. We have always relied upon a mix of both above the line and below the line advertising.”
TRIVIA
Lulu is planning to
open hypermarkets in
Sur, Nizwa and
Salalah soon |
3 New chapters
Al Araimi
Al Araimi Complex makes its maiden entry into the top
three retailers’ list
POINT
It’s been an eventful year for Al Araimi Complex. Dedicated showrooms, among them one for Canon, and specialty international brands, such as RadioShack, have added considerable value to the mall.
COUNTER POINT
The hypermarket behemoth offers the mall stiff competition. As more bigger and better hypermarkets start to dot Oman’s skyline, it will take a lot more special events and promotions to keep the footfalls high for Al Araimi Complex.
QUOTE CALL
As described in a guide to shopping malls in Oman
“A popular meeting place and great
find for the latest in international
fashion and accessories.”
TRIVIA
Al Araimi Complex features an atrium with an omnihub system that provides a unique effect with 15 per cent light transmission around the perimeter |
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