Nickelodeon and Viacom Consumer Products (NVCP) and Entertainment Retail Enterprises officially opened their newest Nickelodeon Store in the Dubai Mall this weekend, with a Grand Opening attended by local celebrities and notable faces. The store is owned and operated by Al Garawi Group Ltd. in partnership with Entertainment Retail Enterprises. UAE residents and tourists now have unparalleled hands-on access to unique interactive experiences and exclusive Nickelodeon products in the heart of Dubai’s premier shopping destination.
“Dubai is the ideal location to open our second Nickelodeon Flagship store and The Dubai Mall is the perfect retail destination within the Emirate,” said Mark Kingston, General Manager and Senior Vice President, Nickelodeon and Viacom Consumer Products EMEA and International Promotions & FMCG Viacom International Media Networks. “We could not be more delighted to bring kids and families in Dubai another opportunity to interact with their favorite Nickelodeon characters and purchase merchandise to bring Nickelodeon into their daily lives.”
Located on the second level of the mall, just opposite the three-story Waterfall attraction in the Dubai Mall, the 3,800 square-foot store is in a prime location to offer kids and families alike the opportunity to interact with the Nickelodeon brand. Shoppers can choose from a wide variety of toys, apparel, homewares and other great products featuring the brand’s beloved properties like SpongeBob SquarePants, Paw Patrol, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Dora the Explorer.
Tina Calvo, CEO of Entertainment Retail Enterprises said: “We are delighted to open at the Dubai Mall, one of the premier global retail destinations, with our partner Al Garawi Group Ltd. The store will offer a fun and immersive environment with a broad assortment of exclusive product. This opening marks the continuing evolution of our Global Retail Network and execution of our strategy with Nickelodeon”
The Nickelodeon Store in Dubai features several unique interactive elements, including the PineAPPle Bar, where kids can play on Nickelodeon APPS, the Colouring Table, the SpongeBob Photo Sculpt and the Play Table, where kids can try out new toys. In addition, “surprise” elements serve to create a fun and stimulating experience for all. The product assortment within the store features a broad array of more than 300 products across all categories with over 80% created exclusively for the Stores by Entertainment Retail Enterprises in partnership with Nickelodeon.
‘We are very excited to open the Nickelodeon Store in the Dubai Mall,’ said Raffaele Annecchino, President and Managing Director of VIMN Southern & Western Europe, Middle East and Africa, ‘The Middle East is an important market for us and this store demonstrates of our ongoing commitment to invest in the region. We look forward to continued growth and success of the Nickelodeon brand in Dubai and across the Middle East and will have more exciting news to announce shortly. Viacom has really demonstrated its commitment to this market in recent months, including our content partnerships with OSN and Etisalat, the recent launch of NickPlay, the localization of our Nickelodeon and Nick Jr channels in Arabic, and now this exciting new Nickelodeon Flagship store.”
The Dubai Mall opened in 2009 and is the world’s second largest Shopping center based on total area. Current expansions are underway and by the World Expo 2020, these will make it the largest mall in the world. The Dubai Mall is home to more than 1200 stores, as well as attractions such as an Olympic-sized ice rink, the Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo, and Sega Republic, a 76,000 square-foot theme park. It also houses 250 luxury hotel rooms, more than 22 cinema screens, over 120 restaurants and cafes, and typically operates at or above 96% occupancy. All told, the Dubai Mall ranks as one the world’s most popular shopping centres and is a top tourist destination, with annual visitors exceeding that of New York City. As of September 2015, the Mall had hosted more than 62 million visitors. That same year, the Mall’s parent company, EMAAR Malls, reported a 23% growth in net profit at $451 million and 11% growth in rental income, totalling $815 million.
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