Thursday 14 / November / 2024
Muscat: Oman’s biggest mall, the Mall of Oman, will have an app that allows customers to have their shopping delivered to their homes or their cars, developers have announced.
The Mall of Oman, set for completion by 2020, will incorporate the unique app, which allows residents to drop off their purchases and have them sent home, as well as the first snow park in the country.
The huge new complex, spread over 137,000 square metres, also boasts a snow park, an outdoor terrace for dining, more than 350 stores and will be home to a 19-screen VOX cinema, as well as 5,000 parking spaces.
Detailing the integration of technology with practical shopping, Fuad Mansoor Sharaf, Managing Director for Majid Al Futtaim Properties, Shopping Malls (UAE, Bahrain & Oman), said the mall will have its own dedicated mobile app and also feature their famed 'Hands free' service.
“Customers can drop off their bags at 'Hands Free' collection desks around the mall and they can have them delivered to their cars, home or hotel by using the mall's mobile app. Mall of Oman will have its own dedicated mobile app that will include features like a locator to find stores and F&B (food and beverage) outlets, call a taxi and updates of special offers to add another layer of convenience and make every visit personal and unique for shoppers,” he explained.
Majid Al Futtaim will also employ social media and online live streaming tools to engage visitors with offers and competitions and open a channel of direct communication with them.
The mall will have a racetrack layout that provides a major aisle that loops around the store to guide customer traffic and allow easy access.
“The looped layout will feed into the spacious Centre Court, designed to allow the play of natural light in the mall, reminding shoppers of the Sultanate’s nautical history. This will also be the cultural heart of the mall and the central venue for hosting events, exhibitions and community activities,” Sharaf said.
Along with stores, including a 13,000 square-metre Carrefour hypermarket, the Mall of Oman will boast a fashion boulevard and dedicated children's fashion section. The state-of-the-art VOX cinema complex will have extra large screens, a 2D, 3D and 4DX immersive experience complete with motion seats and effects, such as rain, fog, scents and wind.
Visitors can dine at restaurants overlooking the Snow Park or sit down for an al fresco dining experience in the outdoor terrace at the mall.
“The Snow Park will be the biggest such entertainment destination in the Sultanate and the main attraction at Mall of Oman, offering a winter wonderland in the desert for visitors all year round. Recreating a mountain resort escape environment, the family destination will have a plethora of activities for visitors of all ages, from building a snowman and snowball fights to interacting with penguins and ice skating.
“Majid Al Futtaim will also be bringing the successful family entertainment centre, Magic Planet, to Mall of Oman. Another unique offering for young visitors will be the Little Explorers advanced edutainment centre. Catering to children between two and seven years
of age, the centre will focus on learning and acquiring skills in a charged-up, exciting and safe environment, led by experts in early childhood education,” Sharaf added.
According to Fabio Scacciavillani, chief strategy officer at the Oman Investment Fund (OIF), Mall of Oman can contribute to the GDP significantly by encouraging tourism and can induce more spending.
“There are obvious logistical advantages for such a huge retail outlet as it makes warehousing and distribution more efficient. As malls are not only a retail facility, but also include entertainment and eating, the Mall of Oman can aid in increasing spending that will increase GDP. Moreover, it will increase tourism as such a huge retail facility will attract tourists, who are on business or travel trips to the country,” he said.
“Shopping centres are recognised as leading enablers of job creation and employment. Understanding the numbers and types of jobs that Mall of Oman will create ensures we can provide tailored training to give Omanis greater opportunities to access jobs and develop skills to support long term employment,” Maimuna Shebani, managing director of The Retail Agency, said.
