Emirates opens 'Emirates World' retail store in Dubai

Located in Jumeirah Town Centre, the airline’s redesigned 3,000 square foot retail store is an open and fluid space for customers to shop for all of their travel needs in a lounge-like environment. It will also offer customers the ability to literally immerse themselves in Emirates’ signature products via VR/ AR technologies.

Emirates World was officially inaugurated with a special ribbon cutting by H.H. Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Chairman of Dubai Airports and Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline and Group.

Also in attendance was Sir Tim Clark, President Emirates Airline, Adnan Kazim, Emirates’ Chief Commercial Officer, senior Emirates commercial and sales executives, in addition to government representatives, industry guests, corporate customers and members of the media.

Adnan Kazim, Emirates’ Chief Commercial Officer, said, “Emirates World sets a new standard for the travel retail store experience and embodies our commitment to provide customers best-in-class products and services across every touchpoint. The opening of this latest concept store is an expression of our retail vision for the future and marks the first of several stores we’ll be opening in the coming years across our network. It’s also part of our larger retail strategy to make the store experience more convenient, engaging and personal. We’ll employ a mix of the latest technology coupled with personalised one-to-one service from our highly knowledgeable travel consultants. Our open, welcoming, and functional space will also allow customers to discover our products like Premium Economy seats, in addition to a host of other elegantly displayed experiences.”

The Emirates World store features a free-flowing open floor plan that allows customers to effortlessly move about and immerse themselves within the interactive experiences on offer. Light and modern furniture is spread throughout the store and generous touches of greenery add to the relaxing environment. Emirates’ experienced travel consultants will be on hand to provide expert advice for customers’ end-to-end travel needs, without the need to take multiple tokens. Team sizes have also been doubled at the Emirates World Store to ensure fast-moving queries and shorter wait times. Travel consultants have been cross-trained, ensuring a one-stop shop that includes airline ticketing, Emirates Holidays and Skywards consultant support, and customers can take advantage of smart technology like self-service screens that reduce wait times and enable faster service.

The centrepiece of the "Emirates World" product experience is the airline’s instore Premium Economy Class seat display. Customers can relax, recline and experience Premium Economy, so they know what to expect when travelling in this highly sought-after cabin class.

Customers who prefer a virtual experience can take selfies against a selection of Emirates product backdrops including the A380 onboard lounge and First Class private suites, courtesy of the latest interactive screen technology. Customers can also enjoy the airline’s onboard cabins with virtual reality offering accurate, life-size experiences as they immerse themselves in their surroundings. LED screens flank different areas of the Emirates World store, showcasing the latest Emirates products and promotional offers.

Customers can also browse through a curated selection of Emirates Official Store merchandise and travel accessories. They can also refresh and relax with an exceptional selection of coffees, teas and other refreshments prepared by Costa Coffee baristas, who have created two unique drinks for the Emirates World retail store.

In addition, the Emirates World retail store will be a place where the travel and tourism industry will come together for workshops, talks and other interactive sessions. Multiple Destination workshops are kicking off in December with the Thailand, Seychelles and Israel tourism boards.

The Emirates World retail stores concept will be progressively rolled out across the airline’s network over the next three years. The retail store experience models will fall into three categories, including the full-fledged Emirates World concept, the Travel Store model, and Travel Kiosks. Retail store models will be determined by customer requirements in each market, including strategic positioning, venue footfall, and evolving customer trends.