Openbravo targets Dubai’s Vibrant Retail Sector for Innovation and Growth

Dubai is famous the world over as a tourist mecca and business hub —  and also, of course, as a major shopping destination, which is why Openbravo attaches so much importance to the city.

We are especially proud to be implementing Openbravo Commerce Cloud for one of the largest consumer electronics retailers in the region. We are confident that many more retailers in this vibrant city will become Openbravo users in coming years.

Impressions of Dubai

The city has changed a lot since 2003, when I visited for the first time. Since then, it has stayed with me in various forms and the association has become stronger with each passing day.   There’s always something new happening; indeed, the only thing that has  remained constant is the element of surprise the city offers everytime I visit.

But if I had to pick three characteristics that define Dubai, they would be the city’s stunning skyline, itsfriendly people and, needless to say, its thriving retail industry – the heartline of the city.

I was fortunate to go back in Dubai recently to attend a networking event organized recently by MECSC, the Middle East Council of Shopping Centers. Dubai is the city where I started my journey into the world of retail 15 years ago and I have been going back to the city at regular intervals.

This time, the visit had a special importance as MECSC gave me the opportunity to meet and interact with some of the eminent retailers and shopping mall owners around the region.  These are the people who have contributed greatly to making Dubai what it is today.

It feels like yesterday when I visited the warehouse of Geant Hypermart in Ibn Battuta Mall. That was the first time I saw a hand-held scanner. The dynamics of the retail industry in this region have changed considerably over the years — the Geant franchise owner was recently acquired by Carrefour, for example.  But what amazes me is how Dubai’s development has accelerated in the last few years to become one of the most modern and dynamic cities in the world.

State-of-the-art Shopping Malls

The retail sector, represented by state-of-the-art shopping malls and  widespread use of the latest technology,  had been  key to this development. The city is probably the only one in the world where retail has contributed so much to the growth of the city and the country. Indeed, each year it organizes the month-long Dubai Shopping Festival, which attracts people from across the globe, many just to go shopping!

The networking event organized by MECSC gave me an opportunity to meet those great leaders who have contributed to this enormous growth. They have seen the journey and are obviously getting ready to face the challenges in the days to come. It was amazing to realise how well informed they are about what is happening around the globe. It showed the readiness of the country to embrace the future.

You can read a  version of this article on my LinkedIn page.