Nasser Rafi, Chief Executive Officer, Emaar Malls Group, said: “The ‘Summer in Dubai’ initiative has energised the retail and tourism sector of Dubai with all participating malls of Emaar Malls Group recording robust visitor footfall. The bargain offers on retail and the family entertainment activities serve as huge draws for visitors, both Dubai residents as well as tourists. Having recorded an impressive 30% growth in visitor footfall during DSS 2010, we expect the total visitor numbers to be even more significant this year.”

Mercato, the shopping centre located in Jumeirah, has seen a sales increase of 10% since the start of DSS as compared to last year. Rana Jaser, PR and Communications Manager at Mercato and Town Centre Jumeirah, said: “These results are very encouraging and were made possible by the efforts of Dubai Events and Promotions Establishment, the organizers of Dubai Summer Surprises. The summer extravaganza provides events and attractions for everyone- tourists, residents, families, and individual travellers.”

“With over three weeks left for DSS to conclude, we expect to see increased footfall and sales,” she added.

Al Ghurair Centre is expecting a 25% increase in retail sales this summer, according to Joe Abi Khalil, Marketing Director at Al Ghurair Center. “DSS plays a vital role in the increase of sales and is effective in promoting shopping offers in the mall. By combining DSS events, activities, shopping offers, and raffles, Al Ghurair Centre is expecting a sales increase of 25%.”

Arif Amiri, Chief Executive Officer, Emaar Retail LLC, said: “With Dubai having established itself as the global shopping and entertainment destination, the world-class leisure and entertainment attractions of Emaar Retail LLC are perfectly aligned with the ‘Summer in Dubai’ campaign to boost tourism and drive the retail sector. A strong draw for our visitors, Emaar Retail’s leisure attractions are witnessing robust visitor turnout and community engagement, offering an unprecedented retail experience, strengthening footfall and encouraging sales.”

Vishal Mahajan, Director of Dubai Outlet Mall, said that the mall was expecting a sales increase of between 25 and 30 per cent during DSS when compared to the months preceding it.

Bernice Boshoff, General Manager, Festival Centre Dubai Festival City, said: “We are delighted to announce that the total count of promotion coupons for the first half of DSS 2011 increased by more than 100% compared to the same period last year. This outcome reflects the success of our promotions and free calendar of kids events, and is obviously stimulated by the rise of inbound tourists. As a strategic partner, we are supporting the initiative of Dubai Events and Promotions Establishment by expanding the shopping mall working hours to cater to the increased footfall and ensure the positioning of Dubai as a destination for distinctive festivals”.

Gold has also witnessed an increase this summer. Buoyed by purchases made by travelling expatriates and local demand, gold and jewellery sales saw an increase of 20% between 22 June and 11 July when compared to the same period last year.

Anan Fakhreddin, Chairman of Dubai Gold and Jewellery Group attributed the positive figures to the wide spectrum of promotions and discounts that retailers are offering for DSS Shoppers. “Dubai witnesses an increased inflow of tourists during the big events and festivals such as DSS and our retailers capitalize on these events by creating attractive promotions that draw tourists and shoppers from all nationalities, thus further enhancing the position of Dubai as the retail hub of the region.”

“DSS sales have been fairly positive and we’ve seen a sales increase of close to 10% during this period. The main reasons for this have been the fact that we’ve seen increased footfall from local residents making pre-vacation purchases, and purchases from tourists especially from the GCC. Smartphones, digital cameras and tablets have been the most popular products so far. In the next couple of weeks, we also anticipate the sales of major domestic appliances to increase as a lot of pre-Ramadan shopping is expected to commence,” said Ashish Panjabi, COO of Jacky’s Electronics.