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Global Recession Fails to Melt Down 
Spirit of Spending in Festive Season

The supermarket chains in the country are yet to witness a visible reduction in the shopping pattern, according to company officials.

Most of the leading chains have special festive promotions.

Manoj Thanwani, the Director of Choithram stores said, “Our collaboration with the Ministry of Economy’s Price Fix 2008 and constantly providing consumers with offers have seen through a period without a crunch. With the current global situation I can also add that as an organisation, we may have been the very first retailer to reduce prices on approximately 1,500 items at a percentage of approximately 15 per cent.”

Lulu supermarket’s V. Nandkumar, Group Corporate Communications Manager-EMKE group said even though there has been a talk about recession and other similar issues, Lulu is yet to witness any negative impact on the sales as we are basically dealing in what people need for everyday life and especially during the festive season shoppers aren’t going to cut down their spending for just once in a year occasion. Little kids have done the listing of the goodies they want from Santa Claus and families are queuing at supermarkets for last-minute shopping for the perfect Christmas turkey, and the air around various residential areas all over the country are filled with the delicious aroma of Christmas cake’s being baked. With final touches being given to decorations, hotels and shopping malls have decked the place with hollies, stars, mistletoes and Christmas trees of various sizes.

A few shopping malls in the country have lined up various charitable initiatives for the festive season.

In conjunction with Ski Dubai and Kempinski Hotel, Mall of the Emirates is encouraging its visitors to donate gifts at a number of specially marked collection boxes throughout December. The charitable fixtures are placed under the 13 metre-high festive tree.

Once collected, the presents will be distributed to children at the Dubai Center for Special Needs. Vice President of the Mall of the Emirates, Fuad Sharaf, said: “Any children’s gift will be thankfully received, and particularly appropriate donations would be books suitable for grades 1-6, puzzles that contain up to 50 pieces and art and craft-based presents, such as painting, stitching and bead sets.”

Marina Mall, Abu Dhabi is following suit by placing Red Crescent donation booths in specific locations throughout the mall.

Nadeem Wajahat, General Manager of Marina Mall said, “We highly regard our corporate citizenship in our overall annual evaluation and our social initiatives can testify to our commitment to the community in which we operate.”

Churches all over the UAE are getting ready to welcome Christmas after month long celebrations and activities.

Some of the church denominations have got together to organise the collection and distribution of 2,250 Christmas packages to various labour camps in Jebel Ali, Al Quoz and Sonapur, Sharjah. Rev. Fr. Stephen Wright of Christ Church, Jebel Ali said, “The bags contain 13 items including toiletries, snacks and a telephone card.

The items total between Dh75-100. The funding came from various firms in Dubai and church members contributions. It has been an ongoing programme and this is the third consecutive year we are conducting this.”

dhanusha@khaleejtimes.com

• UAE