After two Ramadans dampened by coronavirus, the region is back to its traditions this Holy Month with family iftar gatherings, in-store shopping and international travel plans for Eid back on the table.
With the easing of Covid-19 restrictions, retailers told Arabian Business consumer habits are back to their pre-pandemic ways.
“Ramadan 2022 at Spinneys has seen a return to more normal shopping behaviours similar to the pre-covid trends. As the region’s most important religious period and festival, traditions remain a critical element in driving what customers buy and when they buy it. We have seen this reflected in a strong performance in staple cooking ingredients to create iftars at home,” said Tom Harvey, general Manager – commercial, Spinneys.
“The return to more normal working habits and reduced working from home is also leading customers to a return to increased demand for convenient solutions and we have seen strong interest in our new product development with our fresh soups and marinaded meat joints selling ahead of expectations.”
“E-commerce sales remain a significant area of growth in sales but with customer behaviour now far more akin to pre-covid, the rate of growth is softening in line with our expectations. In-store transactions continue to see double-digit growth as customers shop for fresher products more frequently and we expect this to continue throughout Ramadan and beyond,” he continued.
Wheat, cooking oil and basic foodstuff prices are rising, causing consumer concern this Ramadan as the Russian intervention in Ukraine has spurred price hikes.
“Inflation has been front of mind for many customers and we have seen substantial increases in demand for the SpinneysFood brand … Our Spinneys branded products are now the biggest range we have ever offered, accounting for well over a quarter of our total sales and is the fastest-growing major brand in our portfolio,” explained Harvey.
E-commerce trends in Ramadan 2022
Despite the increase in in-store grocery shopping, many consumers continue to prefer shopping online, said Shikhar Mathur, onsite operations and strategy, noon.
“Our customers have been busy preparing for Ramadan. Products for the home and kitchen have been very popular, as has traditional Ramadan decor. We’ve also seen a spike in new season Ramadan fashion,” he said.
“Over the past few years, many new customers have adopted online shopping due to the pandemic. Those customers and existing ones continue to shop online because they love the convenience of it. With restrictions now more relaxed, people will be visiting loved ones and meeting with family and friends, especially as Eid approaches.
“We expect gifting to be a strong theme and have been preparing for this with our partners to ensure we have an amazing assortment and incredible offers. We’re also prepared for the Eid travel expectations with a wide assortment of luggage and fashion items,” continued Mathur.
These trends are seen across the three markets noon operates, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and the UAE, with some local differences.
“While there are some common shopping behaviours between all three, each market is unique. There is a sizeable expat community in the UAE, for example, who will be anticipating the sale season. In Saudi Arabia, the hours people shop and the items they search for become very different during Ramadan,” explained Mathur.
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