DUBAI // Crowds of bargain-hungry shoppers flocked to the annual SAVEX discount shopping expo in Dubai yesterday eager to indulge in a bit of luxury for less.
Raishah Loftus a 35-year-old Dubai housewife, drove across the city to shop at the exhibition and walked away with two designer swimsuits, a blender and a grilling machine, all for just over Dh300 (US$80).
"I think it's worth the travel just to buy something cheaper," Ms Loftus said. "At this time, when with the credit crunch everyone is trying not to spend so much, sales like this are good."
So many wallet-watching shoppers are expected at SAVEX this year that organisers have more than doubled the size of the expo and are expecting to reap more than Dh30 million in sales in two sessions, compared with just Dh13m last year.
SAVEX has expanded from 2,500 square metres of shopping last year to 6,000 sq metres this year, said Ramesh Chuggani, the expo's main organiser.
The growth stems from UAE retailers looking to keep the newest stock on hand to attract more customers, and increasingly budget-conscious shoppers.
"The downturn definitely has had an impact," Mr Chuggani said. "What you would have perhaps bought for $100, you want more value for that $100 today."
Retailers in the UAE felt the pinch last year when the economic downturn reached the region. After rounds of layoffs in property and finance, shoppers put off purchases of discretionary items such as jewellery and handbags, due to economic uncertainty.
Although sales received a boost at the end of the year, during the Eid al Adha and Christmas holidays, consumers have remained thrifty.
From Montblanc to Roberto Cavalli to Jashanmal, 52 retailers are offering their wares for as much as 90 per cent off to cater to this growing segment, up from 44 last year. Mr Chuggani expects shoppers to make 30,000 transactions, up from 23,000 last year. He also anticipates more retailers signing on for a the second instalment of SAVEX in late April. The first instalment ends this Sunday.
Ram Udupi, the division manager of home appliances for Jashanmal, said that while the company was no longer facing an overflow of merchandise as it was when the economic downturn hit, the company was trying to keep its offerings as new as possible to attract increasingly finicky customers.
"It makes more sense now to have the latest products in the global market," he said.
Mr Chuggani said retailers now needed to shift their approach to stay competitive.
"They don't want to keep [merchandise] in the system for too long; they want to keep offering something fresh," he said. "The customer is wanting something fresh all the time now. The competition has increased and [retailers] have to become more agile."
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The specs
Engine: 3-litre twin-turbo V6
Power: 400hp
Torque: 475Nm
Transmission: 9-speed automatic
Price: From Dh215,900
On sale: Now
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The specs
Engine: 1.6-litre 4-cyl turbo and dual electric motors
Power: 300hp at 6,000rpm
Torque: 520Nm at 1,500-3,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.0L/100km
Price: from Dh199,900
On sale: now
The%20Genius%20of%20Their%20Age
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Kanguva
Director: Siva
Stars: Suriya, Bobby Deol, Disha Patani, Yogi Babu, Redin Kingsley
Famous left-handers
- Marie Curie
- Jimi Hendrix
- Leonardo Di Vinci
- David Bowie
- Paul McCartney
- Albert Einstein
- Jack the Ripper
- Barack Obama
- Helen Keller
- Joan of Arc
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
Torque: 780Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh1,350,000
On sale: Available for preorder now
TO A LAND UNKNOWN
Director: Mahdi Fleifel
Starring: Mahmoud Bakri, Aram Sabbah, Mohammad Alsurafa
Rating: 4.5/5
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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Citadel: Honey Bunny first episode
Directors: Raj & DK
Stars: Varun Dhawan, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Kashvi Majmundar, Kay Kay Menon
Rating: 4/5
The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Transmission: seven-speed auto
Power: 420 bhp
Torque: 624Nm
Price: from Dh293,200
On sale: now
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Xpanceo
Started: 2018
Founders: Roman Axelrod, Valentyn Volkov
Based: Dubai, UAE
Industry: Smart contact lenses, augmented/virtual reality
Funding: $40 million
Investor: Opportunity Venture (Asia)
Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
The specs
Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors
Power: 480kW
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)
On sale: Now
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
The story in numbers
18
This is how many recognised sects Lebanon is home to, along with about four million citizens
450,000
More than this many Palestinian refugees are registered with UNRWA in Lebanon, with about 45 per cent of them living in the country’s 12 refugee camps
1.5 million
There are just under 1 million Syrian refugees registered with the UN, although the government puts the figure upwards of 1.5m
73
The percentage of stateless people in Lebanon, who are not of Palestinian origin, born to a Lebanese mother, according to a 2012-2013 study by human rights organisation Frontiers Ruwad Association
18,000
The number of marriages recorded between Lebanese women and foreigners between the years 1995 and 2008, according to a 2009 study backed by the UN Development Programme
77,400
The number of people believed to be affected by the current nationality law, according to the 2009 UN study
4,926
This is how many Lebanese-Palestinian households there were in Lebanon in 2016, according to a census by the Lebanese-Palestinian dialogue committee
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Company%20Profile
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Company%20Profile
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The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol
Power: 154bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Transmission: 7-speed automatic with 8-speed sports option
Price: From Dh79,600
On sale: Now
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
