SPOTS FOR SHOPS
Brand
PARKIN
Entrant Agency
FP7 McCANN
Category
Media
Award
Silver
Festival & Year
Cannes Lions (2026)
Case Study Details
Spots for Shops Starting 1/5/2026, shoppers can get their parking fees refunded at participating stores when they meet the minimum spend. If you own a small business, don’t miss out! Apply now to join the “Spots for Shops” initiative through the link: https://parkin.ae/spots-for-shops
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مواقف لدعمكم ابتداءً من 1/5/2026، يمكن للمتسوقين استرداد رسوم المواقف من المتاجر المشاركة عند إنفاق الحد الأدنى. وإذا كنت تملك مشروعًا صغيرًا، لا تفوّت الفرصة! قدّم الآن للانضمام إلى مبادرة "مواقف لدعمكم" عبر الرابط:
https://parkin.ae/spots-for-shops
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Parkin, the largest provider of paid public parking facilities and services in Dubai, has launched Spots for Shops, a first-of-its-kind initiative that enables drivers to validate their Parkin parking fees through the Parkin app, simply by supporting neighbourhood small businesses - turning everyday parking stops into a new source of footfall, visibility, and support for the local businesses that give Dubai its character and keep its streets alive.
In a city where 90% of residents rely on private vehicles, one of the highest rates of car dependency in the world, parking shapes more than movement. Instead, it is an avenue that shapes where people stop, where they spend, and which businesses get seen. While large retail destinations benefit from abundant free parking that makes every visit easier, smaller neighbourhood businesses often rely on paid public spots right outside their doors, where even a quick stop can come with an added cost.
Spots for Shops helps close that gap.
Drivers can offset their parking fees through qualifying purchases at participating businesses, with the value credited directly back to their Parkin wallet. In doing so, the initiative brings the convenience of mall parking to the street - transforming routine parking from a cost into a practical incentive to stop, discover, and support the hidden gems tucked between the city’s better-known destinations.
How It Works:
• Residents and visitors can park in any paid Parkin space near a participating business.
• Customers are required to pay the applicable parking fees within their designated parking zone.
• Make a qualifying purchase, based on the minimum spend set by the merchant.
• Have your parking validated by the merchant through the Parkin app using the customer’s mobile number as a reference.
• Cashback is credited instantly to the customer’s Parkin wallet.
From a morning latte to a quick haircut, or fashioning key duplicate to enjoying plate of butter chicken, Spots for Shops reframes everyday purchases as meaningful support for the entrepreneurs who keep Dubai’s neighborhoods vibrant, diverse, and distinctly local. Rather than asking people to change their habits, it makes what they already do more valuable for the businesses around them.
15 companies will be included in the first wave of participating businesses under ‘Spots for Shops’ pilot phase, with the redemption of parking to go live on the Parkin app in early May 2026. Through this initiative, Parkin is offering a digital-powered platform that enables small businesses to drive customer footfall by providing parking validation and cashback incentives to their customers through the Parkin wallet. Participating outlets will be responsible for delivering the cashback benefits directly to their customers and benefit from increased visibility and improved convenience, while residents and visitors gain easier access to neighborhood destinations across the city.
The campaign was developed in collaboration with FP7 McCANN, with production by NoGarlicNoOnions and PR led by Burson. Commenting on the importance of the campaign, Federico Fanti, Regional Chief Creative Officer, FP7 McCANN MENAT, said: “Dubai is a car-first city, so the parking spot became our canvas. It’s usually the most invisible moment in the day - you stop, pay, leave. With Spots for Shops, we turned that routine moment into a direct connection between people and the businesses around them. We didn’t ask for new behavior; we made existing behavior more meaningful.”
However, under Parkin, the initiative extends beyond transactions, with designated parking spaces set to feature bespoke artwork and messaging, turning nearby parking spots into striking street-level billboards that guide drivers towards participating small businesses and discoveries just steps away.
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Presentation Board
BUSINESS
INSIDER
@eyeofarabia
SPOTS
FOR
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LEADING PUBLIC
2, dik | suassnensas
Turning
250,000
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spots =
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for small
Background
‘In Dubai, billboards in high traffic areas cost up to USD $206,000 a month.
‘And these billboards are dominated by big brands and malls. And their
investment paid off. Dubai Mall alone received 111 million visitors in 2024,
In contrast, small businesses, which make 98% of businesses in Dubai,
only spend an average of USD $3,300 worth of marketing a month.
With near-zero visibility, they live on side streets, in neighborhoods,
next to paid public parking.
Idea
‘In Dubai, 91% of residents rely on cars. So parking decides where people stop. And
‘where they stop decides which businesses survive. Parkin manages 250,000+
parking spots for the governmental Road 6 Transport Authority of Oubal and
developers. With an average of 12 milion parking transactions per month in
£2028, the Parkin ecosystem became a big platform for small businesses.
Participating small businesses received ads on storefront parking spots.
‘Nearby drivers got geo-targeted push notifications to encourage them to drop by.
‘As an incentive, drivers who park near a small business could validate thelr
‘parking by shopping there. With zero traditional media spend, small businesses
‘achieved 4x their marketing budget in a month.
How it works
9 9 9
PARK SPEND VALIDATE
near a small a minimum to get cashback
business. amount in the Parkin app
11K
businesses
enrolled
Upto
30%
foottall
increase
Upto
uplift in revenue for
small businesses
+22%
app user
base
Reimagining parking as an enabler
of local commerce
ents ies
Se
$3,300
worth of marketing value/day
(@etheie monthly average spend)
208%
surge in Parkin
app users
250,000+
parking spaces transformed into
a city-wide business platform
dubaieye SCENE
eas New
REIMAGINING THE CITY'S COMMERCIAL
LANDSCAPE AND INFRASTRUCTURE
fF) anaswuees
AN INCENTIVE TO EXPLORE LOCAL
SHOPS AND SERVICES
Gulf Business
Si
~ PARKIN BRINGS THE CONVENIENCE
OF MALL PARKING TO THE STREET
16ém $392x
reach in media value
IN-APP GEO-TARGETING
PARKIN METER ADS
IN-APP CASHBACK VALIDATION
