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Mobiles... factoring in purchase decisions

Mobiles affecting shopping decisions in Mena

DUBAI, October 16, 2014

About 90 per cent of mobile Internet users in Saudi Arabia and UAE, and 60 per cent in Egypt have used their phone while in store to check prices, product reviews or ask friends for advice, a report said.

Around 81 per cent and 44 per cent respectively have stopped a purchase as a result of that activity, added the new report released by On Device Research, a global mobile research panel and research provider.

Asking friends and family for advice is the single most popular activity and 35 per cent have resorted to that option, the report said.

In addition, 57 per cent have used their phone for non-shopping activities like chatting, taking photos, and playing games.

Saudi Arabia and UAE can easily be described as places where shopping is a national "sport", the report said.

For example, The Dubai Mall, the largest in the world, houses 1,200 stores and attracted over 65 million shoppers in 2012, more than visited New York that year.

Egypt has traditionally been associated with market stalls and small, local shops. For a large portion of the population this is still the case but for the growing middle class things are changing, the report noted.

International brands like Marks & Spencer, Ikea, and Zara have entered the market while shopping centres such as the Mall of Arabia in Cairo challenge others in the region in size and choice of restaurants and entertainment venues.

The survey was conducted by On Device Research targeting a representative sample of mobile internet users in each country. – TradeArabia News Service




Tags: Mobile | Internet | retail | malls | Shopping |

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