Crate & Barrel and CB2 open adjacent stores at Dubai Hills Mall with local SME pop-ups
International homeware brands Crate & Barrel and CB2 have launched a combined retail presence at Dubai Hills Mall, opening a side-by-side store concept on May 19. The layout places both labels within a single contiguous space while preserving each brand’s distinct aesthetic, bringing a broader range of home furnishing styles under one roof.
What the new concept looks like
The combined outlet presents Crate & Barrel’s contemporary collections alongside CB2’s design-forward pieces, enabling shoppers to move seamlessly between the two offers in a single visit. The opening showcased the brands’ Spring/Summer line-ups, emphasising light textures and relaxed, coastal-inspired palettes that the retailers say are suited to the seasonal market.
Store programming included interactive stations and personalisation moments intended to extend dwell time and create shareable content opportunities for visitors. The layout appears to follow an industry trend toward modular, experience-led store formats that seek to blend discovery with immediacy in physical retail.
Local participation through Majid Al Futtaim’s Ma’an initiative
The launch incorporated a one-day activation programme featuring UAE-based small and medium-sized enterprises under Majid Al Futtaim’s Ma’an initiative. Participating SMEs ran live workshops such as candle-making and perfume customisation, providing hands-on experiences designed to complement the larger retail offering.
Majid Al Futtaim, which owns and operates Dubai Hills Mall among other regional assets, has increasingly promoted community and SME engagement through initiatives like Ma’an. The addition of local artisans and workshop-style activations aligns with broader mall strategies to diversify footfall drivers beyond traditional tenant mix.
Why the co-location matters
Retailers and landlords are experimenting with format innovation as competition from e-commerce continues to reshape the sector. Placing two related but stylistically different brands adjacent to each other lets retailers capture multiple customer segments with a smaller overall footprint, while potentially lowering operational costs compared with two standalone stores.
For landlords such as Majid Al Futtaim, multi-brand adjacencies and programming that includes local SMEs can boost experiential appeal. That matters in Dubai’s mature mall market, where operators are seeking to sustain visitor numbers by offering services and content that cannot be replicated online.
From a consumer perspective, the arrangement reduces friction for shoppers who want variety without switching destinations: customers can compare price points and design philosophies in one visit, which may increase conversion and basket size for home categories that benefit from tactile evaluation.
Industry context and implications
Global retailers have been reassessing their physical footprints, and combined-store models are part of a broader set of strategies including pop-ups, gallery spaces and experiential activations. In markets like the UAE, where mall culture remains central to retail consumption, such formats serve two purposes: they refresh the in-person shopping proposition and provide local communities with new opportunities to engage and trade.
For SMEs, temporary placements and event-based activations offer exposure to higher footfall environments and access to international customer bases. This can be particularly valuable in Dubai, a hub for regional shoppers and tourists seeking lifestyle and gifting purchases.
What to watch next
Observers should monitor how the combined Crate & Barrel and CB2 concept performs on metrics such as dwell time, conversion and cross-shopping. Equally important will be the frequency and quality of local activations; sustained programming would indicate a longer-term shift toward mixed retail and community-led experiences within major malls.
Finally, the move highlights how retail operators are balancing global brand strategies with local market engagement. As malls continue to evolve, partnerships between international retailers, landlord programmes and local SMEs may become a more common tactic to differentiate physical retail in the UAE.
For product details and store information, Crate & Barrel and CB2 maintain regional websites and social channels with their latest collections and store locations.