With the annual end-of-year holiday shopping season approaching in the UAE, a recent study by Cisco AppDynamics reveals that most consumers embrace digital services and applications for their shopping needs.
Growing Preference for Online Shopping:
- In 2023, 70% of UAE consumers plan to do more holiday shopping online compared to 2022.
- The study surveyed 12,000 consumers across 12 countries, including 1,000 consumers in the UAE.
Increased Digital Spending:
- On average, UAE consumers expect that 68% of their holiday shopping will be through applications and digital services, compared to an estimated 61% last year.
Key Drivers of Online Shopping:
- 52% of UAE consumers prefer online shopping for better choices than physical stores.
- Other reasons include the ability to shop during working hours (34%), avoiding last-minute panic buying (32%), and shopping at convenient times (24%).
Opportunity for Online Retailers:
- This trend presents a significant opportunity for online retailers to attract new customers and boost revenues.
Expectations for Seamless Digital Experiences:
- 77% of UAE consumers express that the performance of applications and digital services during their holiday shopping is crucial.
- A poor online shopping experience is unacceptable, as stated by 68% of consumers.
One Shot to Impress:
- 72% of UAE consumers believe retail brands have just one opportunity to impress them during the upcoming holiday season.
Importance of Application Performance:
- James Harvey, CTO Advisor EMEA at Cisco AppDynamics, emphasizes that retailers combining great deals with seamless application performance will have a decisive edge.
- Implementing observability solutions that span cloud-native and on-premises environments is key to ensuring optimal performance and swiftly addressing issues.
