Wired for shopping

The annual Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF), one of the world’s most eagerly anticipated retail events, is here. Like every year, there is an array of discounts on cards. Considered a shopper’s paradise, you can avail the best deals on several products during DSF 2013, the 18th successful edition. This time the retailers, hoteliers and airlines have joined ranks with the authorities to ensure that no stone is left unturned as Dubai braces to welcome hundreds of thousands of visitors. Various international celebrities, designers and artists are expected to be part of the biggest shopping bonanza on the planet. Scheduled to run from January 3 to February 3, 2013, the Dubai Events and Promotions Establishment (Depe) — organisers of the DSF — has already kicked off an ambitious campaign revolving around the theme of ‘Dubai at its Best’. The month-long festival will showcase the spirit of the city and what it has to offer. Besides painting Dubai in a festive mood with a unique blend of shopping, prizes, promotions and entertainment, the theme is fashioned to highlight the emirate as the world’s foremost destination where one can lounge around and enjoy fabulous hospitality. Not surprisingly the retailers are expecting huge sales during the DSF, even as the global economic downturn continues. Expect to find cutting-edge electronic products and great deals at the festival. At Jacky’s Electronics, the UAE’s leading multi-brand consumer electronics retailer, you will find the latest range of Mac, iPad and iPod products along with modern accessories. “We are selling the latest generation of iPads with 9.7-inch Retina display and A6X chip that delivers double the graphics performance of the A5X chip at very competitive prices. The all new 13-inch MacBook Pro featuring a flash storage in a sleek compact design is also available,” a top Jacky’s official told Khaleej Times. Sharaf DG, UAE’s largest consumer electronics retailer, is planning to showcase the widest range of electronics brands across IT, mobiles, cameras and home appliances during the festival. “As the most admired consumer electronics retailer in the UAE we plan to stock all the leading international brands and thousands of electronic products during the DSF. There are some great deals on Onkyo, BlackBerry Playbook Tablet 32GB 7Inch, Samsung 3D LED TV, HP Envy and LG Tall Boy Home Theatre System besides other hot-selling products,” a sales executive at Sharaf DG store in the Mirdiff City Centre said. Jumbo Electronics, another leading distributor and retailer for IT and consumer electronics in the UAE, is showcasing about 3,000 product categories across its stores: “During the DSF 2013 we will be catering to a wide category of customers with different requirements. You shall be able to get the most advanced product range, great service, and the same experience at attractive prices. Apart from other top products there are several freebies and discounts available with Samsung Galaxy S III, Galaxy Tab, Asus product range and HTC Windows phone 8S,” a member of the Jumbo sales crew at The Dubai Mall revealed. The retail major helps you elegantly gift-wrap any electronic product, complete with compliments, if you intend to give it away to a dear one. Based on past trends, market watchers are expecting the prices of several hot-selling electronics items to come down during the festival. Last year Samsung’s four series 32-inch LCD TV was sold for less than Dh1,000 in the UAE. Moreover, the tradition of gift vouchers worth several hundreds, valid in all major outlets across the emirate, is likely to continue. This time around several major brands are all set to introduce discounts and include freebies and gift vouchers to add to the shopping craze. Emax, one of the fastest-growing electronic retail chains in the Middle East, has a lot of exciting activities, special prices and bundle deals planned for this DSF: “We have amazing offers on mobiles, digital cameras, MP4 players, laptops, TVs, hair dryers, blenders, toasters, washing machines, cooking ranges and refrigerators from top brands including Philips, Siemens, Fishers & Paykel, Nokia, Olympus, Lenovo, Acer, Samsung, LG, Sony Toshiba to name a few,” an Emax official at the Oasis Centre told Khaleej Times. They say if Dubai is the world’s fashion colonnade, then DSF surely serves as its glitzy signage From: Khaleej Times