With gifting and shopping being a big part of Ramadan, consumers are spending more on cross-border items as 55 percent indicate they are more likely to purchase from abroad during the Holy Month, according to new research by Facebook IQ, Meta’s insights and research division, in partnership with global public opinion and data company, YouGov.
The study was conducted during Ramadan 2021 with over 13,000 respondents across nine countries including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt.
The research shows that around 64 percent of shoppers across the UAE get excited about trying new brands and products from abroad, and are shopping across a range of different categories.
For instance, UAE consumers are most likely to get products shipped into the UAE from retail brands (67 percent), consumer packaged goods category (46 percent), followed by technology/telecom brands (28 percent), entertainment brands (25 percent), and travel (12 percent).
“Gifting and shopping is a big part of the Ramadan moment. The change in everyday habits leaves shoppers more open than usual to discovering new brands and products,” said Fares Akkad, regional director for MENA, at Meta.
“This creates a unique opportunity for businesses to reach cross-border shoppers looking to discover products they’ll love—and Meta technologies can help build those connections,” he added.
Three tips for UAE brands during Ramadan
Meta gave three tips for UAE brands and businesses to effectively adapt and plan this Ramadan:
Diversity meets discovery
People shop across borders for a variety of reasons, including to find a higher quality product, a product with a better price point, or a product that is unavailable locally. Roughly a third of people shop from overseas retailers as well. More than 7 in 10 people make unexpected discoveries during Ramadan.
Building personalised connections
62 percent of UAE shoppers feel it is important to see content in their local language while 27 percent of shoppers agree that they find content creators most influential during Ramadan/Eid al-Fitr as they help them discover new content and accounts that they might like.
Facilitating delightful purchases
83 percent of cross-border shoppers made serendipitous discoveries while shopping during Ramadan—about 61 percent of those purchases were made seamlessly. Because these purchases are spontaneous, removing friction from the checkout process is more vital than ever. Conversions can be increased by providing a frictionless purchase journey.
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