Gitex Shopper, largest and most influential consumer IT and electronics sales extravaganza in the Middle East, this year ended on a strong note registering a total of Dh237 million ($64.5 million) in sales during the eight-day event.

It was a record year for Gitex Shopper 2013 which witnessed a 23 per cent jump in sales over last year as power retailers and the leading global brands reported brisk sales across the board, with digital cameras, smart phones, laptops and tablets among the best performing categories, said the event organisers.

Contributing a sizeable 10 per cent of the annual revenues for retailers in the UAE, the show plays a key role in meeting the growing demand across the Middle East and neighbouring markets for the latest technology, gadgets and consumer electronics.

The show’s move to the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) location was a contributing factor to this year’s exceptional success. The visitor numbers also swelled to 206,201, a 22 per cent increase over last year.

"Year after year, Gitex Shopper has continued to provide unmatched opportunities for global technology brands and regional retailers, reaching new levels this year, thanks in part to the relocation of the show to its new central DWTC venue," remarked DWTC chief executive officer Helal Saeed Almarri.

The success of this year's event has fueled demand for a bi-annual show for 2013, he added.

With the latest technology products on display and excellent sales growth reported almost unanimously by our exhibitors, Gitex Shopper 2012 has delivered record results, said Almarri.

“The recently announced new edition for April 3 to 6 next year following a directive by Sheikh Mohammed will certainly provide power retailers another great opportunity to meet the growing market demand,” he added.

Leading retailers at Gitex Shopper 2012 reported record sales, with most of them citing double-digit growth over last year.
Sharaf DG CEO Nilesh Khalkho said, “This year’s edition was the best ever for us. Not only did we achieve phenomenal sales both at the show and across all our stores in the UAE, it also gave us a chance to increase brand awareness for Sharaf DG."

Jumbo Electronics CEO Vishesh Bhatia said, “We are excited to record double-digit growth in sales from last year. Tablets have been a significant contributor, with 100 per cent growth over last year. Sales of smartphones also recorded growth of 80 per cent over last year. We believe Jumbo was the largest retailer in this category as well.”

"Our sales during Gitex Shopper increased by 11 per cent from last year. Not only did the exhibition attract returning customers but the new and more accessible venue helped to bring many new visitors to the show, which translated into more sales for us," remarked COO of Jacky’s Ashish Panjabi.

Neleesh Bhatnagar, the CEO of Emax, said the Gitex Shopper has proved to be a remarkable success for Emax, with 80 per cent growth in its sales for this show. "The 8-day shopping extravaganza contributed more than 8 per cent of our annual budget and an impressive 30 per cent of our Q3 forecast," he added.

Sean Connor, the GM of Plug-Ins said: “Customers were treated to exciting offers on the latest and hottest consumer electronics products which resulted in Plug-Ins posting an 82 per cent increase in sales over last year. Once again, this year saw tablets and smart phone categories doing extremely well.”

Mueez Rahman, the GM at E-City said, “We saw a phenomenal increase in sales from last year just in the first five days of the show. Gitex Shopper is an important platform for any electronics and technology distributor, and we look forward to participating in all the future editions of the show.”

Sanjay Dabur, the GM of Grand Stores said: "Our participation at Gitex Shopper far exceeded our expectations. We received huge interest in our products and a phenomenal 40 per cent increase in our sales revenue."

Global brands also took advantage of the show’s unrivalled influence to showcase their latest products.

Firas Tayfour, the head of retail, corporate marketing division at Samsung Gulf Electronics, said: “This year has been an exceptionally good year for Samsung, with an unprecedented 100 percent increase in sales. The venue’s central location and the bigger retail space also encouraged more consumers to come and experience Samsung’s latest products and technologies.”

DY Kim, the president of LG Electronics Gulf said: “Gitex Shopper was the perfect platform for LG, as the first technology manufacturer, to unveil an Oled TV in the Middle East and Africa Region.”

Gitex Shopper is set to offer a double bonanza of tech opportunity next year, with a show scheduled to take place from April 3 – 6, followed by the traditional year-end event in October. Both shows will be held at the Dubai World Trade Centre.-TradeArabia News Service