There is an opportunity waiting for grocery retailers, who are masters of the city metro experience and, are not afraid to embrace the "Cheers Effect". 👉 Cheers was a TV show in the late 80s - 90s whose iconic tagline was “.... you want to go where everybody knows your name and they’re always glad you came.” It was all about community and the feeling of belonging. 👉 The UAE Government has whole policies dedicated to that feeling; The National Strategy for Wellbeing 2031 explicitly frames mental health, emotional wellness, and positive thinking as economic priorities. To build connected neighbourhoods and reduce feelings of isolation. Tasking the private sector to take shared ownership. 👉 I can relate. Taking it all in from the 57th floor of my accommodation, I couldn't help but notice the steady flow of Talabat, Noon, Deliveroo and Careem delivery riders dominating the city's highways. At times, I was the only person heading out to the local metro supermarket to shop in-person and not order via app. A 2026 environmental well-being study highlights how high-density, vertical environments inflict unconscious psychological stress. Simply put; if the external urban environment is not warm and welcoming, we retreat to our apartments, hotel rooms and our smartphones. 💡 So, what's the (retail) solution? Kenyan, Ugandan, South African and Colombian are some of the cultures that I got chatting with in stores across Dubai. At first, a little reticent to engage with me but once the flood gates opened so the personalities began to shine. There is a strong argument that says the structure of how the labour force, in retail, is rewarded directly impacts how the shopper is engaged. A metro supermarket in Business Bay, Dubai, has a sign right across the window that reads "Only Smiles Welcome Here". Great sentiment, the gap has been identified, just not replicated in-store. 👉 So what is the opportunity. To quantify; Business Bay, Dubai reports over 32,000 residents plus an additional 110,000 active daily commuters and corporate professionals during peak business hours. We can do the research but my bet; food delivery apps are their best friend. Masters of metro retail and the "Cheers Effect" such as; :Marks and Spencer (UK), Centra (Ireland), Mercadona (ES), if prepared to take a leap of faith, are clearly backed by state heath and wellbeing mandates, for market-entry. To the masters of metro, I say, be the next Sam Malone.