Middle East ecommerce boom expected during Ramadan

To capitalise on consumers’ increased online consumption and gifting season in the Middle East, Souq.com is announcing a new promitional offers programme to welcome Ramadan and celebrate the spirit of giving, albawaba.com reports.

Souq.coms offers are aimed categories such as fashion clothing, shoes and handbags, consumer electronics, home appliances and many more to make for perfect gifting ideas for family and friends. According to Google data, cited by the source, online deals and Ramadan promotions were among the most popular search topics during the holy month in 2014 and 2015.

In 2015, Souq.com witnessed significant growth in m-commerce and app purchases during Ramadan reiterating that mobile devices are used more often than any other device in the region and more so during Ramadan. The online traffic in the UAE was at its peak between 11am to 4pm whereas in the KSA it was particularly high during 9pm to 4 am and 2pm to 4pm.

While consumer electronics category was leading in terms of sales, SOUQ.com also experienced a phenomenal increase in number of lifestyle products sold especially via its increasingly popular mobile app. This trend was emphasized more towards the last week of Ramadan when consumers are looking for Eid al-Fitr gifts. Google data also reported a peak in search interest for perfumes and celebratory clothes for the holiday during the festive period.

Saleem Hammad, General Manager of Souq.com comments, ‘Last year, we saw an increase in online consumer spending by 24% in the U.A.E and 15% in the Saudi Arabian Kingdom during Ramadan and we expect similar uplift this year. We observed a huge increase in new users for categories such as consumer electronics, and a pattern of repetitive buying for fashion and lifestyle products. Today’s tech savvy consumers understand the advantages of shopping online such as convenience, competitive pricing and a greater variety.

He further comments that “People in MENA are now online more than ever before and in Ramadan this trend escalates even further. Each year, we aim to launch Ramadan deals in line with our objective of personalising our customers’ experience, providing them with unparalleled shopping experience and exceeding their expectations.