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A leading mall in Bahrain is attempting to take the strain out of shopping with an innovative initiative that allows customers to pick up their purchases with ‘hands free’ ease.
The new service means that shoppers will no longer have to lug around countless numbers of bags and boxes, attempt to lunch with family and friends or entertain children when their hands are full.
Customers can now drop off their purchases at three different Hands Free Shopping collection desks spread across the popular mall and can pick them up at their convenience once they’ve finished running their errands, watched a movie or relaxed over a coffee and a cake.
Duaij Al Rumaihi, senior mall manager, Majid Al Futtaim - City Centre Bahrain, said: “The unique service is designed with every type of shopper in mind; whether a parent strolling the mall with their little ones, a keen shopper looking for some relief or a tourist looking to have his or her shopping delivered directly to a hotel at a later time.
“The Hands Free Shopping takes the strain away whilst visitors continue to shop, dine or catch up with friends.”
The service is powered by Fetchr, a regional start-up that combines logistics, technological and digital expertise to deliver ‘customer-centric solutions’. It was first launched in the UAE in 2016, and, according to a mall survey, customer satisfaction was recorded at 95 per cent with many shoppers praising its ‘wow’ effect of getting their bags delivered at the click of a button in a few minutes anywhere, anytime.
Bahrain’s shoppers, such as retired Abdullah Ali and his wife Kawkab, have already put the service to the test.
“Usually we spend hours at the mall shopping and carrying tons of bags along with us,” Kawkab, who lives in Juffair, said. “It can get pretty exhausting, especially if we aren’t done with our shopping and have lots to carry while going from store to store.
“When the lady at the counter saw us carrying our bags, she called us over and explained the free service to us and we were pleasantly surprised.
“It’s such a great idea and I really love it. We spent an hour-and-a-half in the mall shopping and really enjoying ourselves.”
The collection desks are located on the ground floor with one situated next to Furn Café, Westin Hotel entrance, another by Carrefour Hypermarket and behind the main customer service desk at the Central Galleria.
During the drop off, the bags are sealed by Fetchr representatives and sent to a storage facility located close by for safe keeping until ready for pick up.
Delivery can be arranged using a City Centre Bahrain mobile app or calling the Hands Free Shopping team on 77388827, 15 minutes before leaving the mall. Shoppers can also use the Fetchr app to request a home delivery.
Bags can be delivered to any location, be it at a gate, a vehicle within the parking facility or to a coffee shop. People staying at the mall’s attached hotels, Westin and Le Meridian, can also use the service.
Although delivery within the mall is free, those wanting their items delivered to their homes within the same day pay BD3 and those not in a rush can pay BD1.8 for the service for next day delivery.
The only restrictions are that the weight of each Hands Free Shopping delivery bag should not exceed 5kg and each customer’s shopping must fit into the delivery bags.
The mall also reserves the right not to accept certain shopping items such as beverages, perishable items, flowers, delicate or breakable objects, prescription drugs, money, jewellery, precious metal and watches, personal belongings, animals and any items that are considered illegal under Bahraini law.
For further details, visit www.facebook.com/citycentrebahrain or www.citycentrebahrain.com
