Metro increases footfall

Retail units operating in the new Mall of the Emirates Metro link have reported "huge footfall" on their opening weekend, mall chiefs said on Tuesday.

They said stores had started to open earlier than normal in an effort to catch the thousands of commuters using the metro to travel to work in the mornings.

Among the new businesses that have opened their doors along the link are Home Sweet Home, Emax, E-City, Paperchase, Borders Express, Cold Stone Creamery and Nokia while Jacky's and Better Life have relocated to the area and UAE Exchange now has its second outlet at the mall.
"We've found that our Metro Link stores are proving not only popular with visitors using the new service, but also with shoppers who come to the centre by other means," said Fuad Sharaf, vice-president of Mall of the Emirates.

"We designed it to be much more than a mere access route to the trains and it is clear that it is being seen more as a shopping extension to the mall by our customers," he added.

The new 1,753 square metre area facility has its own customer service desk, restrooms, trolley bays and courtesy parking crews to assist commuters and customers.

"Many of the Metro Link stores are opening early in the morning to help service the needs of commuters who are using the Mall of the Emirates as their exit station on their way to work," said Sharaf.

"We've noticed that a lot of people are stopping to pick up snacks and newspapers before they get to their offices and a number are also taking advantage of this quieter time of the day to ensure that they have the store assistants' undivided attention when enquiring about a particular product," he added.

The 175 metre-long link comprises three travellators operating in both directions.