Giorgina Ting has her mobile phone set up to notify her when online shopping apps – “I have almost all of them,” she said – would launch discount periods.
Especially now, she said, as threats of rising inflation loom over the UAE’s vibrant retail scene – with fuel prices being one of the most obvious indicators.
“I’m always excited about shopping festivals and discount seasons, but now is an even better opportunity to get the best deals,” she said, particularly gushing over Amazon’s two-day sale period which kicked off in the UAE on Saturday.
“Prime Day,” as the e-commerce giant calls it, offers discounts of up to 70 percent on its online shopping app for members of Amazon Prime. There are offers for almost every retail segment – from gadgets to fashion to home items.
Amazon claims the two-day sale last year saw the delivery of more than 250 million items globally.
“In 2021, Prime members in the UAE saved more than any previous Prime Day, securing discounts across every category on Amazon.ae,” Stefano Martinelli, the company’s retail director for the Gulf markets, told Arabian Business.
The best-selling categories for UAE shoppers last year were electronics, beauty, health, home care, and grocery, he said.
Growth of e-commerce in the UAE
This trend could continue, Martinelli implied, especially as the wider e-commerce space sustains its growth. According to data from Dubai’s dedicated e-commerce free zone, EZDubai, the sector was valued at over $5 billion in 2021, with prospects of it surpassing $8 billion by 2025.
E-commerce operators like Amazon have taken advantage of this fast-growing consumer space, investing in technology to meet shopper demands, boosting logistical capabilities to offer quick deliveries, and other efforts to augment customer experience.
“Customers will always want access to low prices, vast selection, and fast delivery – making progress and staying committed in these three areas will always be good for customers. They are good today and will be good ten years from now,” Amazon’s Martinelli explained.
Martinelli was referring to the vast number of UAE residents who shop online. The EZDubai study, which was conducted with Euromonitor International, showed an average 75 percent of respondents typically had online purchases in 2021. This was, in part, driven by the country’s 90 percent internet penetration.
Rising consumer prices
Even as Dubai remains to be a vibrant retail scene for consumers, recent data points to a rise in consumer price index (CPI) in June, jumping 5.8 percent year-on-year to 105.35 points, according to the Dubai Statistics Centre.
Higher CPI was led by the prices of recreation, sport, and culture increasing 35.76 percent, transport with 33.32 percent, and food and beverage with 8.94 percent. Other goods and services, including clothing and personal care, did not see a huge jump in prices.
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