Qatar’s retail industry is getting a further boost thanks to the shopping promotions and campaigns on offer, enticing many residents and visitors to shop more in the "new normal”, it is learnt.
“People are not travelling this year, they didn’t travel in the summer, they are not travelling until the end of the year, so they have enough money to spend in the Qatari market, which is good for the economy and this is a good indication,” Mall of Qatar (MoQ) general manager Emile Sarkis told reporters during the handing over of four new cars to the mall’s ‘Pick & Choose’ shopping festival winners Tuesday.


One of the winners during the handover ceremony. Supplied picture


The second batch of premium cars for MoQ's ‘Pick & Choose’ shopping festival. Supplied picture


He noted that the campaign has attracted many shoppers, increasing the mall’s footfall while also adhering to Covid-19 health and safety measures such as wearing of face masks, checking of body temperature and Ehteraz app status, in addition to social distancing practices, among others.
Filipino expatriate Ysmael Montoya was among the winners, bringing home a BMW218i. He was joined by three Qataris – Mohamed al-Dosari (BMW X2), Fahed Daoud Dehnim (Mini Cooper) and Saad Mohamad al-Marri (BMW 320i).
Montoya said he initially dropped two coupons but thought of coming back to drop another three. “Luckily, the next day they called me. If I didn’t come to drop those remaining coupons, maybe I wouldn't have won.”
“I am very happy, I really cannot describe how I feel because I did not expect to win. But, of course, you need to pray and believe in yourself that you’re going to win because you joined the raffle draw,” he added. “This is the first time I won a car.”
MoQ has given away seven cars, with another 12 left, including two grand prizes that will be drawn on December 10 to mark the mall's fifth anniversary, and on December 18 on the occasion of Qatar National Day.
It is learnt that the campaign has been attracting a large number of shoppers who, apart from premium cars, also have the chance to win MoQ gift cards worth QR5,000, QR3,000, QR2,000 and QR1,000. The draw takes place every week immediately after the car draw.
In a press statement issued by MoQ, Dehnim, a regular customer of the mall, lauded the shopping festival and described it as “a tremendous, well-organised campaign”. “It has revived mall footfall and activity. I thank God and MoQ for winning this valuable award, which comes as an appreciation for its customers' loyalty.”
Al-Dosari thanked the MoQ management for organising a campaign with premium prizes, a proof that it values its customers with high-end awards.
“I would also like to thank Qatar's Ministry of Commerce and Industry for their significant role and authenticity during the raffle draw, and this is what we always expect from our respected institutions,” he said. “I would also like to thank the MoQ management and employees for their professionalism and dedicated customer services.”
Al-Marri, also a regular customer of the mall, thanked MoQ for its extraordinary efforts to serve and satisfy its customers, “for organising such an excellent, distinguished festival and for always attaining their customers' satisfaction and making them their top priority”.
“I am pleased about winning such a valuable award, which came as a surprise. We will continue visiting the mall regularly, which has always been our first and top destination,” he added.
Sarkis noted that MoQ’s current shopping campaign is the "biggest shop and win festival in Qatar", allowing customers to win 20 premium cars. It offers customers more flexible options to choose their favourite car and the date of the weekly draw until the end of the campaign on January 14, 2021.