The Galleria Al Maryah Island, the premier lifestyle and shopping destination in the heart of Al Maryah Abu Dhabi, recorded numerous accomplishments in 2020including surpassing 22 million in footfall, the opening of over 68new stores and achieving double-digit growth. All of this was achieved while maintaining the highest health and safety standards for guests throughout the destination. As a result of these successes, The Galleria has firmly established itself as the pre-eminent retail destination in Abu Dhabi.
THE DESTINATION OF CHOICE – STRONG OCCUPANCY AND FOOTFALL
The Galleria exceeded its 2020 annual target for footfall, attracting more than 22 million guests as a result of its exceptional offering and steadfast focus on safety. Notwithstanding the impact on the retail sector due to the lockdown and other health and safety-related restrictions, 68 new stores opened their doors. This included first-to-Abu Dhabi brands such as American Rag Cie, Abercrombie & Fitch, Abercrombie Kids and Books Kinokuniya and the first-in-the-world Kendall + Kylie store, reinforcing The Galleria as the destination for exclusive shopping experiences.
As an industry leader, The Galleria will continue to drive the region’s entertainment landscape with the launch of several highly anticipated world-first and regional first concepts and brands this year.
SALES GROWTH
The Galleria Al Maryah Island achieved double-digit growth in 2020despite the impact of closures and restrictions in H1. This positive trajectory continued to the end of the year, a trend that can be attributed to increased consumer confidence, The Galleria’s adherence to the highest of health and safety standards, and a steady programme of sales and experience-driven campaigns. The last four months (September to December) of 2020 witnessed the greatest momentum with an 18% increase in sales compared to the same period in 2019.
Commenting on these achievements, David Robinson, General Manger, The Galleria Al Maryah Island, said;“Despite the challenges that 2020 brought globally, and with unprecedented focus on safety, we generated positive sales performance, added 68 new brands, including many first-to-Abu Dhabi concepts, and ended the year with double digit growth. This exceptional performance demonstrates our resilience in the face of a global pandemic and is a result of our continuous efforts to create bespoke customer journeys, elevate our offering and bring to life experiences that set us apart. We look forward to building upon these many successes in 2021.”
NEW AND REVAMPED LUXURY BRANDS
Shoppers have a lot to look forward to this year with the reopening of some of the world’s most admirable brand names in luxury and jewellery. All-new store concepts from brands such as BVLGARI, Saint Laurent, and Balenciaga will be complemented by a major flagship store from Christian Dior.
Reinforcing The Galleria’s unrivalled status as the luxury hub for Abu Dhabi, a suite of new high fashion and jewellery boutiques will open including Versace, Rolex, and exclusive to The Galleria in Abu Dhabi Parisian jewellery house Messika and Swiss luxury watch and Jewellery manufacturer Chopard.
Mr. Robinson continued; “Long-time brands continue to build on their success by renovating stores and investing in The Galleria. More industry-leading brands will make the destination home in 2021, further building upon our established selection of brands across dining, entertainment and retail. The fact that we continue to attract global names and industry game changers as the destination-of-choice in Abu Dhabi is a testament to The Galleria’s continued growth and success.”
GAME CHANGING LEISURE & ENTERTAINMENT
The Galleria’s family leisure category will welcome significant new additions, greatly enhancing the UAE’s entertainment landscape with both a world-first and regional-first concept. This includes the global debut of ‘Mission: Play! by Mattel’ which will take children’s entertainment to a new dimension, the Middle East’s first National Geographic Ultimate Explorer, an immersive play-based family attraction, and first-to-the-UAE Zero Latency, a thrilling multiplayer virtual reality gaming centre. These exceptional destinations add to The Galleria’s offering of a 21-screen VOX Cinemas with IMAX, and teen activity centre Xtreme Zone.
Commenting on the expansion of the retail, leisure and entertainment offering,Mr. Robinson said;“Our vision has always been to curate a mix of best-in-class venues, fashion, food, home and entertainment. 2021 will build on this momentum with highly anticipated brand launches and the opening of world-leading entertainment concepts. At The Galleria, we continuously strive to enhance and diversify our offering, with a focus on curating truly extraordinary experiences. 2021 will be another milestone year of firsts, cementing our position as the destination of choice for market leaders in Abu Dhabi.”
With a full calendar of seasonal celebrations, weekly activities, and special events for the whole family, there’s always something to see and do #AtTheGalleria. Visitors of The Galleria are advised to play their part by wearing face masks, observing social distancing markers, sanitising hands, and opting for contactless payments at all outlets and customer capacity limits.
Open on Saturday – Wednesday from 10 am to 10 pm and Thursday – Friday from 10 am to 12 am. The Galleria is located on Al Maryah Island, Abu Dhabi. For more information and updates on upcoming events, visit www.the galleria.ae and follow The Galleria on Instagram and Facebook.
