Today's Edition
MAYS IBRAHIM (ABU DHABI)
The UAE ranks second globally in shopping satisfaction, with 71% of its consumers reporting an extensive use of digital features to enrich their shopping experiences, according to a recent survey by PYMNTS Intelligence and Visa Acceptance Solutions.
These findings are featured in the “2024 Global Digital Shopping Index: UAE Edition”, which surveyed 1,392 consumers and 212 merchants in the UAE from September to December 2023.
The report also draws comparative insights from a larger survey, including 13,904 consumers and 3,512 merchants from seven countries.
“Thanks to digital retail, UAE merchants have established an enviable benchmark in customer satisfaction,” it said.
The report highlighted key digital features used by UAE consumers, including the flexibility to use their preferred payment method, access via mobile apps or mobile-specific websites, user-friendly online stores and shopping carts, and digital access to comprehensive product details and reviews.
Salima Gutieva, the Vice President and Country Manager for the UAE at Visa, noted the importance of merchants adapting their digital offerings to the diverse consumer base in an evolving retail environment dominated by digital innovation.
This adaptation is crucial to satisfying the UAE’s demand for a high-quality shopping experience driven by innovative features, according to Gutieva. “Digital features can simplify shopping, and our data finds a correlation between more features used with higher satisfaction.
For instance, Click-and-Mortar shoppers in the UAE have an average 56% increase in satisfaction relative to in-store-only shoppers who avoid digital features,” she said in a statement.
‘Click-and-Mortar shopping’ The research captures recent trends in consumer behaviour, outlining the rise of Click-and-Mortar shopping experiences, a model that incorporates both online and store-based sales channels.
“With consumers already utilising an average of 14 different digital features and nearly nine in 10 retail shoppers depending on these digital aids, the appetite for an enhanced Click-and-Mortar experience in the UAE is strong. For local merchants to maintain their competitive edge, they must meet current needs and set new benchmarks for digital retail innovation,” the report stated.
Its findings revealed nearly three-quarters of shoppers in the UAE opt for online-only or Click-and-Mortar methods, departing from traditional in-store shopping without digital aids.
Moreover, 43% of UAE consumers adopt Click-and-Mortar shopping, surpassing the global average by 4 percentage points.
According to the report, millennial and Gen Z consumers are the leading age cohorts driving the shift to Click-and-Mortar strategies in the UAE, with roughly 80% of this consumer demographic incorporating digital features into their purchasing behaviour.
