It's not the retail so much as the fish tanks and fountains that shoppers search for in Dubai's mega malls.

With more than 60 major shopping malls in Dubai alone, including what is purportedly the world's largest mall, the retail sector in the emirate has never been so competitive. Retailers, therefore, are now moving online in a bid to spread their brand message further afield to help increase footfall and become the favoured Dubai shopping experience.

In the UAE, top searches tend to centre around generic terms, with few mall names or specific retailers mentioned. The only to malls making the top 20 popular search terms are 'Dubai mall' and 'mall of the emirates'.

Interestingly, online shopping is beginning to emerge as a popular search term as web users opt for an in-home shopping experience.

Dubai Mall is by far the most talked about brand in the social media sphere. It also boasts the highest sentiment scoring. Most mentions of the brand are positive, with enthusiastic comments about its impressive features of the mall such as the water fountains and the aquarium.

Additional buzz has also been created around celebrities set to visit the mall. For example, Kim Kardashian's pending personal appearance is much anticipated, as is the opening of the Christian Laboutin store.

Again, with the other malls mentioned often on social media platforms, the majority of the buzz is created around the additional features of the mall which often don't include shopping activities. Ski Dubai, for example, is commonly referred to when mentioning Mall of the Emirates, as is the spa when discussing Wafi mall.

Surprisingly, for one of the larger and perhaps busier malls, Deira City Centre fails to make an impact amongst the social media-savvy demographic. Mentions that can be picked up are neutral in tone and refer to general visits or cinema trips.

Few mentions of individual retails outlets are made. Perhaps this demonstrates the growing popularity of non-shopping-focused activities available at shopping centres today, indicating the evolution of malls from being a purely shopping-based experience to a form of entertainment for the whole family.

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