Mall mania!

Glitzy malls are threatening the street shops to near extinction in Bahrain with shopping trends and dynamics changing customer behaviour.

The island's metropolis has a variety of malls whether they are strip malls, high-end designer malls like the Moda Mall, themed malls like Al Aali or sprawling havens with anchor tenants like Saks Fifth Avenue at City Centre or Marks and Spencer at Seef Mall.

Gone are the days when malls were just a single storey functional space. With the advent of the 21st century design and architectural wizardry and retail science in place, shopping malls in Bahrain have become much more than a shopping venue.

Now malls are futuristic high-tech destinations of glass, steel and concrete and serve a dual purpose: to socialise and shop.

According to Ahmed Yateem, director of Yateem Opticians: "The concept of a street shopper is dying in the region and the Bahraini customer is no different. Increasingly, malls have become the preferred shopping venue as they offer a lot more under one roof.

"We get more visitors in our mall shops rather than stand alone street shops. But despite this trend, we have not closed any of our outlets in the streets, instead we have opened additional outlets in major malls around the kingdom. The overheads are more in malls but our sales are robust there as opposed to our street shops which have lesser overheads but the walk-ins are fewer also."

Yateem Opticians has nine stores in malls across the island and seven as stand alone street shops.

There are many factors that contribute to the shift in shoppers' behaviour in Bahrain. Not only do people have less time to shop but when they do they want to shop, eat and be entertained all under one roof. A stimulating environment that provides a variety of experiences has become a preferred option.

Bahrain is a well travelled market and has its share of weekend visitors which gives rise to an increasing number of discerning shoppers. Hence the demand for modern malls with their air-conditioned environs and convenient parking and all the shoppers' needs under one roof.

"Although one stays more focused in a stand alone shop, shopping malls are more in tune with our lifestyles. It is a one-stop shopping experience where there is something for the entire family.

"Moreover, weather conditions are not a deterrent if one has to go for shopping in a mall," said Pakistani, Sehr Ilahi, 28, a resident of Janabiyah.

Issues of management and promotion coordination also come into play in shopping malls.

Whilst individual stores regard their downtown businesses as competition, they offer little or no co-operation in common concerns such as parking, promotions and general planning.

In contrast businesses located in shopping centres are subject to control by centralised management which establishes common hours, promotions, a minimal level of quality, visual and window displays in keeping with the image of the mall.

The concept of business compatibility and the right tenant mix is also well understood by shopping centre and mall management.

Typically, they will have a formula defining the number and types of businesses that should be together to optimise the carefully managed shopping environment. As a result, each business will reinforce the other and this programmed competition will help all.

"Shopping malls offer efficient shopping with scores of outlets offering thousands of products for sale. I can compare prices and products from different retail outlets all conveniently located within the same premises," said Bahraini, mother of two, Tahera Al Jaber.

"Most times I would go to Aali Mall or City Centre Mall with no intention of buying but end up doing just that if I find a good bargain. Since I have the option to choose from a variety of brands I usually end up with the best deal.

"This would be quite impossible with street shops. Also the fact that when I go to a mall, I can come away knowing what the latest trends are just by window shopping."

Most of the shoppers who spoke to GulfWeekly agree that shopping malls of the 21st century offer the ambience and high standards that malls lacked in the past.

Also, the fact that all the good brand names are present in the same location offers one-stop shopping convenience, which is a prerequisite in today's hectic lifestyle.

Despite the practicality and principles of retail management, not all street shops are threatened by mall mania.

Some shoppers argue that small street shops in Manama souq offer atmospheric relief from the huge monstrosities of the 21st century and have great bargains too.

Such shops have character that will never be replaced by suburban sprawl.

Moreover, it does away with the hassle of navigating an expansive mall to find one particular shop. But with the current market trends, changing lifestyles and the rapid population growth in the kingdom, more malls are likely to ensue like the upcoming development in downtown Manama.