SHOPPERS at a mall in the kingdom could walk away with the goods they’re purchasing for free if they are lucky enough to receive a tap on the shoulder and a whisper in the ear at the till.
Saar Mall aims to mark the coming Eid break by dishing out the dinars with a simple message of ‘leave it on us’ with BD3,000 set aside for gifts in a special community campaign.
Eid al-Adha, also called the ‘Sacrifice Feast’, is the second of two Muslim holidays celebrated worldwide each year, and considered the holier of the two. Although the promotion may sacrifice profits, Esmahan Hassan Bokhowa, the mall manager and financial director of Bokhowa Group, believes it’s a great way to thank the thousands of shoppers who regularly show their support.
She said: “We want to make families’ dreams come true during the three-days of Eid by giving them what they actually want. Whether a shopper is looking at a phone, at a piece of furniture, at clothing or even wanting to purchase a meal in our food court - we could be there. Just leave it on us! It’s simply our way of saying Eid Mubarak.”
Members of the management will wander round the mall from 5pm to 8pm to stamp a random selection of customers’ bills away, no matter how big or small the purchase. This initiative covers all the centre’s 70 stores, cafes and food court.
Esmahan says she was inspired to come up with the promotion by her father Hassan Abdulla, the CEO of Bokhowa Group, and her cherished childhood memories.
She said: “My father is the kind of personality that is adventurous and always encourages us to try new things or think up something new. I was brought up to be bold and innovative with my way of thinking.
“As I got older, I’ve tried to hold onto that ideology. I worked in the accounts department in the family business for 21 years and when I got the opportunity to manage the mall I knew I’d finally be able to put my positive upbringing to even better use. That’s how this idea came about.
“I want to deliver the same happiness I felt growing up to others around me. I also wanted to give back to the community. The best part of my day is when I see others smiling and enjoying their time at the mall. I want this to be like a getaway for people where they can be surprised and have fun at the same time.
“So far, I believe we have accomplished that. This mall has non-stop action from festivals to raffles and even fitness boot camps. We aim to stay involved and always make sure to deliver something new.”
The Bokhowa Group, which originally started as a construction company in 1974, has evolved into an empire covering various fields including civil engineering as well as property and business development. The Saar Mall, for example, which has a total built-up area of 16,000sqm, was developed by the group with Geant as its anchor shop.
The centre has a basement car park with two levels of branded shopping outlets. Its special features include an external waterfall, internal fountains, sweet and salt water aquariums, as well as a Starbucks drive-through.
For more details about the #leave_it_on_us campaign, known in Arabic as #khaloohaalena, visit www.saarmallbahrain.com or check out its Instagram, Facebook and Twitter accounts at saarmallbahrain.
Saar Mall staged a three-day Big Shopping Festival at the food court featuring a bazaar-style souq, games for children and a special stone-carving show.
The event on Thursday, Friday and Saturday was organised by The Bright Future Society, which supports 50 registered orphans. Mall management also invited 150 orphans from the Royal Charity Organisation and Al Sanabel Orphans Care to attend the festival, as reported in last week’s GulfWeekly.
