It can be noted that in the last ten years, there has been a shift in consumer buying behavior in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) particularly in online shopping in UAE. The new advances in technology have revolutionized the shopping paradigm by making it easier, cheaper, and more efficient. As the population of the UAE is highly interconnected, and the shift to e-commerce is growing exponentially, online shopping has become the primary way of shopping for many residents, affecting the retail business and consumers’ behavior.
This blog is about new tendencies that have emerged in the sphere of Dubai online shopping; it reveals the ways in which people can save costs and receive such privileges as lower prices and discounts, less money necessary for transportation, and more time-saving opportunities.
- Ease of Buying Products from Anywhere
However, one of the biggest shifts seen in the new economy of UAE is the ability to shop right from home through online shopping. In earlier days they used to sit for hours perhaps in malls or retail outlets, dealing with traffic, parking, and throngs of shoppers. However, with the advent of e-business sites, a consumer can sit comfortably in an armchair and make his/her choice of which goods, to buy what, and where to make his/her purchase with some clicks.
This saves time and energy; people can shop anytime without having to go out. Especially in a country such as UAE where the summer temperatures rise well above 40 °C it becomes about having the chance not to have to go outside physically in search of products or services and shop online from the comfort of your house or office.
- Easy to Compare Prices
Perhaps, the best ways through which consumers in the UAE can save their money through online shopping include cheap prices and seasonal offers. Indeed, e-commerce vendors can enable charges at a lower price compared to traditional physical store owners through some overhead expenditures like rent, staff, and electricity. Some of these cost-savings are reflected to the consumers by the online stores through mark-up reduced prices which are cheaper than the physical store’s prices.
On a side note, having the usual price decreases as part of their operation, several online sellers have weekly, monthly, or yearly sales, coupon codes that would give shoppers deeper discounts, and a customer rewards program that provides its customers with more discounts and/or free shipping every time they use the platform again. Currently, there are White Friday, Ramadan tenders, New Year tenders, and so on which provide a noticeable chance for UAE customers to save a great deal of money on a variety of products ranging from electronics and clothing to food and houseware.
- Save on the Transportation Cost
Due to the UAE’s fast pace of growth in terms of urbanization and the large amount of retail space in and around Dubai, it is sometimes incongruent and ineffective to drive from one shopping mall to another. Petrol, parking charges, and sometimes even tolls on highways for commercial purposes can be burdensome for continuous mall or retail outlet visitors.
In this context, each of the transportation-associated costs is also erased by the convenience of online shopping. From the comfort of their office or home, products are purchased and delivered directly to consumers’ doorstep eliminating fuel or parking expenses. The current e-commerce platforms in UAE including CognitionUAE make free delivery on any order that meets a certain amount, thus making e-commerce more affordable. This convenience and cost savings are especially important for people who live in distant areas from large shopping malls.
- Maintaining Time Efficiency
It is an important commodity, and one of the ways people in the UAE save money to shop for goods online is by sparing a lot of time. In such a working nation where the major chunk of available time goes into work, family, and social obligations and responsibilities, online shopping provides an alluvial solution to shopping.
While they can save time and energy going from store to store or join lengthy queues at cash registers, consumers can easily look for and buy products online. There are more conveniences of using e-commerce in the UAE, for example, personal offers, and quick checkout systems. Besides, convenience is another advantage, because the consumer may buy things whenever he wants, without keeping an eye on store opening and closing time.
- Direct Access to a Wide Range of Products
It has become convenient for the citizens of UAE to purchase goods from the internet because they are provided with a wide opportunity to choose from a wide range of products. Shoppers expect to see as many SKUs on the shelves of physical stores as online platforms provide them with almost unlimited choice. Consumers can get all products from both local and international markets which they may not get from physical shops.
This diverse product range makes it possible for residents in UAE to get certain specialized or otherwise unavailable products, at cheaper prices compared to what they would have to spend when shopping physically or through online stores in countries outside UAE. In addition, most of the e-commerce sites in the UAE have tie-ups with companies worldwide and consumers can order directly from overseas with reasonable shipping charges.
- Prevent Impulsive Purchase
Consumers who shop at malls or stores tend to buy what they did not intend to because of displays or some offers that take their attention. When making impulse purchases therefore one may not realize that they are making cumulative purchases that if avoided will reduce the overall expenses. Online shopping, however, provides the opportunity for a consumer to make a more planned purchase.
Since the Internet market provides an opportunity for consumers to select the required products and ignore others due to multiple offers, it is easier to save money. Also, the option of selecting items putting them into the shopping cart, and then coming later and buying them provides time for further thinking and thus minimizes chances of impulse buying.
Conclusion
With the increase in online shopping in the UAE new consumer behavior patterns have emerged and many benefits such as cost efficiency have emerged. Through enhanced price levels, cutting transportation costs, and improving related convenience and shopping range offline shopping has become an inherent part of life for numerous inhabitants of the UAE. With the continued advancement of e-commerce, all of these trends are bound to surge, thereby enabling more people in the UAE to realize both time and money savings.
