Middle East has seen a tremendous rise in smartphone penetration rates and social media usage as the total number of Internet users has recently crossed the 100 million mark. Retailers are exploring ways to get more personal with their customers, through online offerings and social media interactions, to gain loyalty. A recent research by HubSpot has shown that 95 percent of millennials expect brands to have a Facebook presence, and 46 percent of online customers expect brands to provide customer service on social media. It also suggests that retailers providing social assistance have succeeded in retaining customers and building trust.
This trend has been growing in the region as well, consumers in the region are expecting consistent shopping experience, whether they buy online, in-store, or via a mobile app. They are also increasingly using social networks to communicate with the retailers or brands. Over 95 percent of the Middle East’s online population uses social networking sites daily, and retail brands cannot afford to ignore the demand for a social presence from their consumers.
“In an era where there are an infinite number of options presented to the consumer for instant purchase, retailers need to give customers a reason to choose them. Trends like ‘click and collect’, ‘mobile pay’, ‘app navigation’, ‘virtual fitting rooms and shopping carts’ are integrating shopping experience for the consumers. On the other hand, being connected to the consumer via social media to provide assistance and rectify complaints, is also important, as 55 percent of the Middle East’s population is under the age of 30, and most of them are Internet savvy,” says Mohamad Jaber, Group Marketing & Communication Manager, Paris Gallery.
He added that enabling consumers to browse through in-store collections, evaluate and purchase a product online and then making it available for them to try in the store, helps the retailer to provide a great shopping experience. “However, for an increasing number of consumers, who are empowered with information that they have gathered from online sources, their visit to the store is less about shopping and more about validating the choice they have already made before entering the store,”
Another promising area for retailer investment is around the Internet of Things (IoT), which seamlessly connect the physical store and online operations. As per a recent study by Gartner, globally over 21 billion IoT devices will be connected for retail operations by 2020.
According to Tarek El Goweiny, CEO, NCC Group, “While e-commerce will not take over traditional retailers anytime soon, brands in the region need to place the consumer at the heart of their online strategy if they want to remain relevant to the next generation. To achieve this, online and bricks-and-mortar need to complement each other.”
This trend has been growing in the region as well, consumers in the region are expecting consistent shopping experience, whether they buy online, in-store, or via a mobile app. They are also increasingly using social networks to communicate with the retailers or brands. Over 95 percent of the Middle East’s online population uses social networking sites daily, and retail brands cannot afford to ignore the demand for a social presence from their consumers.
“In an era where there are an infinite number of options presented to the consumer for instant purchase, retailers need to give customers a reason to choose them. Trends like ‘click and collect’, ‘mobile pay’, ‘app navigation’, ‘virtual fitting rooms and shopping carts’ are integrating shopping experience for the consumers. On the other hand, being connected to the consumer via social media to provide assistance and rectify complaints, is also important, as 55 percent of the Middle East’s population is under the age of 30, and most of them are Internet savvy,” says Mohamad Jaber, Group Marketing & Communication Manager, Paris Gallery.
He added that enabling consumers to browse through in-store collections, evaluate and purchase a product online and then making it available for them to try in the store, helps the retailer to provide a great shopping experience. “However, for an increasing number of consumers, who are empowered with information that they have gathered from online sources, their visit to the store is less about shopping and more about validating the choice they have already made before entering the store,”
Another promising area for retailer investment is around the Internet of Things (IoT), which seamlessly connect the physical store and online operations. As per a recent study by Gartner, globally over 21 billion IoT devices will be connected for retail operations by 2020.
According to Tarek El Goweiny, CEO, NCC Group, “While e-commerce will not take over traditional retailers anytime soon, brands in the region need to place the consumer at the heart of their online strategy if they want to remain relevant to the next generation. To achieve this, online and bricks-and-mortar need to complement each other.”
