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DSF’S CALL FOR RETAIL OUTLETS

Promising to be bigger and better than all the previous editions, DSF begins on January 4, 2006 and will continue till February 4. Registrations would be allowed right up to January 3.

The DSF office is expecting a record number of visitors this year, promising the participating outlets brisk business. "The figures last time were very encouraging. Eighty-five per cent of the outlets in Dubai opted to register for the retail outlets scheme. This year we are expecting a higher response,” said Mohammed Al Dehail, DSF Retailer Outlets Coordinator.

Compared to last year's 25 per cent, there is a 50 per cent discount on the registration fee this year for retail outlets in sponsor shopping malls.

Al Dehail said registrations for retail outlets wanting to participate in the festival as part of the scheme can collect the application forms from the DSF office. DSF 2006 will have retail participation categories. Interested retailers can collect application forms for any of three categories — Festival Sale, Festival Offers and/or Raffle Draws. In addition, the category of 'DSF Discount' is back during this DSF.

The application form for registration can be collected from the reception desk of the DSF office during office hours and registrations can be done in the evenings at the ground floor of the Department of Economic Development office in Dubai. The application form filled with the relevant details should be submitted along with the corresponding fee at the DSF office on or before January 3, 2006.

Registration timings are from 4 pm to 7.30 pm from Saturday to Wednesday and from 10 am to 1 pm on Thursdays.

The fees for participation for stand-alone retail outlets are Dh1,500 for a 1000sqft area; Dh2,500 for those between 1,000 to 4,000sqft and Dh5,000 for outlets with over 4,000sqft area.

Over and above these fees, there would also be an additional fee of Dh500 that would be charged from those outlets that want to hold a festival sale, and that would be irrespective of the size of the outlet.

Participation fees along with the additional 'festival sale' fee, if applicable, must be paid in full at the time of registration. Key sponsors, patrons and support sponsors are exempted from the participation fees. Outlets in shopping malls are eligible for a 50 per cent waiver on the fees but they will have to pay Dh500 if they want to hold a festival sale.

During the month-long festival, non-participating retail outlets will not get permission from the Department of Economic Development to conduct any promotions or 'sales'. Apart from this, there are a number of terms and conditions that the participating retail outlets will have to adhere to, top of which is that all participating retail outlets will have to honour their offers throughout DSF 2006. Participating outlets will have to deliver their promised offers and those that fail to do so will face stiff penalties, including closure of the shop for the duration of the DSF for serious offenders.