'Passion for people': How Emirati women handle challenges of working in retail
In the vibrant UAE retail industry, ladies such as Maryam Mohammed, Afraa Adam, and Noora are more than just workers. They are success stories exemplifying how hard work and enthusiasm pave the pathway to success in any field.
While celebrating Emirati Women's Day, the UAE focuses on what is required to succeed in the dynamic and somewhat challenging service industry.
From deputy to store manager
Noora's career journey exemplifies vertical progression within the retail sector. As a Deputy Store Manager with Marks & Spencer in Dubai Mall in 2022, she was promoted to Store Manager within a year.
Her initial exposure to retail through Duty Free sparked her interest in the sector, especially in a customer-facing role. She enjoyed the ability to engage with people, the fast-paced nature of a retail environment, and providing assistance to patrons.
She explains her motivation, “I became truly inspired by the retail world. I discovered how much I enjoy connecting with people, assisting customers, and working in a dynamic environment”.
In the above quote, Noora highlights her belief in the far reaching potential of Emirati women, stating “I truly believe Emirati women are capable of achieving success in any field they aspire to. With passion, dedication, and determination, nothing is out of reach.”
This determination has seen her through many challenges towards the goal of a store manager, balancing navigating complex workplace relationships with the heavy workload expectations of the position.
She summarizes her experience with these challenges by stating, “staying confident, embracing feedback, and learning from every situation. I believe in myself.”
A social spirit in retail
Maryam Mohammed, a resident of Fujairah, has spent more than a decade in the retail industry, and is now a senior sales assistant managing the men’s and lingerie sections.
"I’ve always been a naturally sociable person who enjoys interacting with people from different walks of life. This job gives me that opportunity every single day, which is amazing," she explained.
She states, "Working in the retail outlet has enabled me to appreciate the diversity of people, which, in my view, is the most fundamental driver of effective cross-cultural communication skills and professional experience.”
She candidly shares, “One challenge I face is the travel distance between my home in Fujairah and my workplace. I face a considerable distance when traveling to my workplace, and combined with my long hours, I feel it takes a toll on me.” Even so, she has learned to manage her time well, stay positive, and leverage the aspects of her job that she finds rewarding.
Maryam values and enjoys every engagement from customers and makes sure they get help that they need. Every customer has their own personality and I enjoy interacting with them,” she adds with a smile. “I truly enjoy these interactions. I have always loved being sociable and for as long as I can remember, talking to clients has been easy and pleasant for me.”
Balancing logistics and customer engagement
Afraa Adam, a 29-year-old resident of Umm Al Quwain, has made a distinctive impact in the service industry. She has worked as a sales assistant and has now moved to the logistics sector for the past three years.
Her position entails a lot of operational coordination between the warehouse and the retail store.
Afraa’s unexpected career advancement explains, “I never intended to get into logistics. I did not know that my previous working experience in client facing roles would assist me in tackling the challenges the role posed.”
Afraa describes her experience with managing time during multitasking, “When I’m in the store, I’m not only expected to help the customers, but I also have to manage and process payment and billing systems. Because of the challenge of a lot of work pulled on me at once, I learned better ways to handle the situation. In the long run, learning to manage tasks made all the difference.”
Afraa stresses that all experiences have value, whether they feel rewarding or challenging at the time.
Recalling her experience on managing clients, she explains, “I do not lack experience when it comes to interacting with clients and I have learned to accept and feel my client’s emotions. I do not lack experience when it comes to interacting with clients and I have learned to accept and feel my client’s emotions.”
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