Dubai’s Independent Retailers and the Business Behind the Shopfront

Three Alserkal Avenue warehouses give shoppers different reasons to go in. At Warehouse 71, The Flip Side helps people find records and hear unfamiliar music. At Warehouse 64, thegoodlife. brings sneaker and apparel listings into a shop where people can compare fit. At Warehouse 69, CHI-KA combines clothing, a gallery and project enquiries. You can visit all three in Al Quoz, but what you need to check before buying differs at each stop.

The Flip Side gives record discovery a physical home

The Alserkal profile for The Flip Side puts the shop at Warehouse 71 and describes live sessions, film nights and music talks. Its online catalogue separates electronic and non-electronic releases and carries Shadi Megallaa's chart of selections. If you have a record in mind, ask about the artist, title, label and pressing. If you are browsing, start with a track or producer you already like and see what else the catalogue suggests.

The shop's own site and Instagram profile say Tuesday through Sunday, noon to 9 pm, with Monday closed. Alserkal's listing gives a 3 pm opening on Friday. Confirm Friday hours with the shop before making a trip. Stock can change too, so contact the shop for the exact edition you want.

The shop's 11 November 2026 reel for Sven Wunder's Daybreak shows how a recommendation can work before a shopper arrives. It pairs blue album art with a description of the sound. Check the catalogue or ask the shop if you want to buy that title. See The Flip Side’s Daybreak reel.

The January 2025 Sandy Times Radio collaboration is an example of what the space can do beyond selling records. Alserkal listed two days of local DJs at Warehouse 71, with sets scheduled to be recorded and aired. For a new visit, check the current event listing for the date and access conditions. The records, staff recommendations and events each give listeners a different way to discover music.

thegoodlife. links the exact online listing to an in-store decision

Alserkal's thegoodlife. listing places the sneaker and apparel shop at Warehouse 64. Its listing gives daily hours of 10 am to 9 pm. The shop's official Instagram profile lists 10 am to 8 pm Monday through Thursday and 10 am to 9 pm Friday through Sunday. Confirm the closing time if you are going in the evening.

A product page can tell you which version to ask for. The retailer's adidas Samba MN listing identifies the Naked and Maha collaboration, a Core Black, Off White and Gum colourway and style code IH3566. Use the code, size system and colour when checking availability. If you have never worn that shape, compare fit in person before ordering, especially when a product has restricted returns.

The shipping page lists free store pickup and AED 25 same-day Dubai delivery for orders placed before 3 pm. Confirm the delivery option at checkout and wait for collection instructions if you choose pickup. The returns policy lists 30 days from delivery for a refund, exchange or store credit on eligible full-price items. Eligible discounted purchases have 14 days for a refund and 30 for exchange or store credit. Items marked Final Sale are ineligible for return or exchange. Check condition and exclusions before buying a gift or ordering a size you haven't tried.

The shop's 5 November 2026 adidas SPZL reel shows how it announces a collection online. The post refers to a specific Autumn/Winter launch, so check the current product listing for availability. See thegoodlife.’s adidas SPZL reel.

CHI-KA gives clothing, craft and projects a shared space

The CHI-KA account of its origins names Nina and Nemanja Valjarevic as the founders in 2013 and dates the opening of the Alserkal space to 2016. It describes the site as an atelier, shop and gallery and lists Japanese kimonos, abayas and kaftans. The Alserkal directory gives Warehouse 69 and lists 10 am to 7 pm daily. Use the studio contact page to confirm a visit that needs an appointment or a specific item.

CHI-KA's tatami page gives an example of a conversation that may start in the shop and continue as a project. The studio says it sources from a Kyoto workshop and takes enquiries for homes, restaurants and design projects. It discusses options for the mat base, surface and edging. Bring approximate dimensions and describe how the space will be used. Ask about samples, installation and lead time before settling on a specification or price.

The studio also uses the space for events. Its 6 October 2026 post advertised a beginner ikebana workshop with the Ohara School of Ikebana at Warehouse 69 on 10 October. It listed AED 390 and a limit of twelve places for that event. The flower arrangement in the post shows a different way to encounter Japanese craft in the same space. See the CHI-KA workshop post.

Plan the visit around what you need to decide

If you want to browse, leave time for the displays and the questions they raise. For a record purchase, take the release and label details if the edition matters. For shoes, check the style code, size and returns before paying. For a materials project, bring a sketch or dimensions and ask what happens after you request a sample. The three warehouses are close, but each has its own hours, stock and booking arrangements.