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Mena retail spending to hit $66b during Ramadan

Samsung reworks strategies to cater to rising demand in the holy month

According to a report by Redseer Consulting, overall retail spending in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region is expected to hit $66 billion during the holy month of Ramadan, with gifting preferences dominated by electronics, specifically mobile phones, wearables, home entertainment, home appliances and tablets.

“We are increasingly seeing the rise of a hybrid shopping model where consumers are looking for both online and offline experiences before making a purchase,” Shafi Alam, Head of Direct-to-Consumer Business & Corporate Marketing, Samsung Gulf Electronics, told Khaleej Times in an interview.

Excerpts:

Recent research has suggested that promotional periods like Ramadan account for sizeable annual sales. How are you expecting to capitalize on this trend?

This time around, for Ramadan, we expect our exclusive offers to seamlessly enhance Ramadan moments, for families and individuals and encourage them to create valuable moments of community building throughout the Holy Month.

Catering to all these touchpoints is important in today’s digital age and we at Samsung are constantly rewriting our customer experience strategies, making sure they are in sync with the shopping habits of our consumers in the new ‘phygital’ world. An example of this cohesive environment is at our pop-ups where consumers can experience our products physically before purchasing them.

All these initiatives are further tied together with our exciting Ramadan deals on a selection of Samsung’s most sought-after products, with up to 40% discounts across mobiles, tablets, TVs, and home appliances. Through our exclusive rewards programmes, value-added services such as doorstep trade-in for mobiles and TVs, easy 24-month instalments with leading UAE banks, and after-sale benefits such as Samsung Care+, we aim to address the diverse customer needs as well as boost sales.

What are the main items being focused on in Ramadan?

Ramadan, one of the most significant consumer moments in the region, inspires consumers to not only discover new brands but also stay up to date with the latest products. In response, retailers and brands in the Middle East offer an array of promotions, rewards, and benefits before and during the Holy Month.

At Samsung, we cater to these consumer trends and shopping habits with our ‘Nowhere Better than Samsung.com’ Ramadan campaign. We have equipped our online platform ‘Samsung.com’ with curated bundles tailored explicitly to the lifestyle needs of our shoppers, making sure to include a diverse range of Ramadan’s most sought-after products, such as mobile phones, televisions, refrigerators, gaming monitors and much more.

The ‘Nowhere Better than Samsung.com’ campaign transcends both online and offline, with a pop-up store at Dubai Mall going live from April 21 to April 30. At the pop-up, consumers can access an immersive, interactive experience influenced by various lifestyle themes, including exercise, gaming, and home entertainment. The pop-up is an ideal platform for consumers to experience our products in person before purchasing them online.