UAE retailers must adapt to new online buying patterns

DUBAI — Retailers across the UAE and the GCC need to ensure that they are ahead of the curve by focusing on the needs of their customers, especially when it comes to their online purchasing and spending habits, experts at the eighth edition of the Middle East Retail Forum (MRF 2019) said.

The two-day conference is being held under the theme ‘RetailNEXT - The new wave of People, Products and Processes’ and has brought together the Middle East’s most powerful retail influencers and leaders to focus on the fundamentals driving profitable innovation in the retail sector.

“It is an undeniable fact that e-commerce is a major chunk of a retailer’s business. Traditional brick and mortar can’t survive without being online. Consumers have changed their buying pattern and we have to adapt to the new ways,” said Sajjad Azees, marketing manager at Emirates Cooperative Society.

Similarly, Vijay Talreja, cofounder and director at Adapty Solutions DMCC, said that retail businesses in the region will have to transform from a pure-play physical store setup to an integrated digital and omni-channel model. This will provide their customers with a connected experience, thereby increasing engagement, leading to loyalty and hence more commerce.

Euromonitor International’s research revealed that retail sales across the Gulf countries are projected to increase by more than $24 billion over the next five years, with the UAE expected to lead this trend with an estimated growth rate of 16 per cent. Euromonitor’s research showed that Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE are all set to capitalise on the rise of consumerism thanks to favourable demographics, a rise in population, as well as a strong growth trajectory in tourism and per capita income.