UAE shoppers set for 50-80% Black Friday discount deals
BUT RETAILERS COULD FACE COMPETITION FROM FIFA WORLD CUP MATCHES
UAE shoppers are getting another chance to tap 50-80 per cent discounts as the Black Friday sales open, and launch the allimportant end-of-year sales. This time though, online marketplaces and their offers will have to compete for attention from consumers who will likely be glued to watching the Fifa World Cup matches in the evenings (and discussing the results and making forecasts in the pre-match parts of the day).
Even the Black Friday deals are geared towards the World Cup, with noon adding a freeto-play football prediction feature – Golazo – to its app. And consumers will get their rewards too, in the form of cashbacks.
Retailer sources say that with the World Cup viewing providing intense competition in the evenings, the discounts and offers have to grab shopper attention instantly. Because once viewers get hooked onto the matches, diverting their attention will not come easy.
Plus, categories such as TVs, smartphones and tablets will have already seen shoppers go in for new purchases or major upgrades, starting from the summer itself and getting another spike in demand during this month’s 11.11 sales promotions.
“Popular Black Friday categories such as fashion, accessories and home appliances may see a lag between people wanting to buy and actually doing so,” said a retailer. Fashion merchandise is seeing 20-30 per cent off, while perfumes – the other popular buys during the season – too are getting 30 per cent off on average.
As is now common, ecommerce channels and brick-andmortar operators are hoping to convince shoppers to get started with 0 per cent interest BNPL (buy now, pay later) backed offers.
“We’re working with local partners to add more BNPL options to our platform to increase conversion rates and purchase value for noon sellers and businesses in all the markets we serve – UAE, Saudi Arabia and Egypt,” said Neha Choudhary, Digital Strategy and Growth at noon, which is running its Yellow Friday until November 27.
No sign of ‘extreme caution’
So far, there isn’t much sign of shoppers in the UAE putting off their spending on non-essentials, brought on by all the interest rate hikes witnessed through the year and continuing into the next, based on what the US Federal Reserve has been saying.
All through next month, UAE residents have not slowed down on planning their holiday breaks ahead of the New Year. Car dealerships talk about another strong month in the works, as more 2023 model year options arrive. And if one asks F&B businesses as to what they forecast, the collective response is about a ‘record-setting December’.
Online shoppers, though, will look to improve their chances with zero delivery costs in a nod to the times. As for online retailers, a divided opinion one gets to hear.
Noon’s Neha says that free shipping will be ‘determined by the shopping season strategy of each retailer’. “It’s our craziest November yet, and we’re working hard to provide our customers with the best bargain and shopping experience possible through our platform,” she added.
Sandeep Ganediwalla, Regional Partner at Reducer Consulting, is of a different opinion. “We do not see delivery charges reduced during this period as that is typically an acquisition tool.”
Loyalty and rewards
Amazon for one is rewarding its Prime members with ‘up to 70 per cent more savings’. They will also get a one-day head start on the White Friday offers, which run until November 28.
“Listening to customers and what they care about, we have also collaborated with a wide range of banking partners to offer more flexible payment options through 0 per cent instalment plans and instant bank discounts for bigger savings,” said Stefano Martinelli, GCC Retail Director, Amazon.