UAE: How to save and earn at the same time

KT photo/Rahul Gajjar

Dubai - From eating at your favourite restaurants to shopping for beauty brands and buying everyday essentials, consumers are spoiled for choice

Published: Thu 21 Oct 2021, 9:46 PM

By
Joydeep Sengupta

The raging Covid-19 pandemic wiped several small businesses and caused unimaginable economic blues across the world. But the UAE, which has emerged as a global technology and innovation hub, and promises to give Silicon Valley in the US a run for its money, bucked the trend with unprecedented success.

Several start-ups were born out of adversity.

Consider the case of ZNAP, the first of its kind cashback mobile application (app), which was launched last December.

“ZNAP offers a raft of features that provide advantages of both saving and earning at the same time for users. This newly launched app is designed to run on any smartphone. Customers can avail the benefits with utmost ease. It’s a gratifying experience,” says Uday Rathod, the brain behind the concept.

Rathod, who holds a postgraduate degree from Deakin University, Melbourne, is a suave business owner with a keen interest in reading.

Prior to setting up ZNAP, he was running his family businesses that include operations in manufacturing, natural resources trading, information technology services and investing in start-ups.

What’s in store?

The ZNAP merchant portfolio currently boasts over 200 outlets across food and beverages, health and fitness, entertainment, and a whole lot more. ZNAP has exclusive and hard-to-resist offers on everything ranging from your favourite restaurants, grooming spots, pet care, sports facilities, fashion brands, beauty brands, and everyday essentials.

ZNAP offers a unique chance for customers to bag irresistible deals and for brands to learn and interact with the consumers directly who have purchased their products or availed their services.

The app offers users the advantage to earn back cash on their actual spend with any of their registered merchants of up to 50 per cent. The cash is safely retained on the app and can be utilised upon the next visit.

Since its launch, the app has welcomed users from all walks of life, who are on the lookout for offers, discounts, and venues where they can stretch their dirhams. The number of registered users is growing with each passing day and the product has been received very well on both ends — brands and consumers — who love this unanimously as it’s the easiest channel to save, interact, and communicate one-on-one between the brands and consumers as opposed to the traditional coupon, deals, and offer process that has been in vogue.

How does ZNAP work?

Signing up to the app is as simple as 1,2,3. All you need is a smartphone; a valid UAE number and you can jump on and start enjoying all the offers in the UAE.

The merchant list has been curated bearing in mind preferences and choices of the UAE consumer demographic, and features brands loved and frequented by masses as well as the elite population. Some of the merchants include the likes of Bombay Chowpatty, Kulfilicious, Little Italy, VLCC & Drift Zone, to name a few.

What makes ZNAP unique is its one-of-a-kind cashback model that allows ample benefits for both merchants and users. Unlike discounts offered by various other players, ZNAP’s cashback model is more sustainable, keeping in mind the interest of both consumers and merchants.

Not just the consumers, but the merchants also get to benefit from this cash-back model. The cashback earned is utilised at the same merchant’s hub, thus, leading to a long-lasting, loyal relationship between the customer and the merchant.

“The onset of Covid-19 changed a lot of things for businesses and how they operate. People began spending less on luxury and more on necessities. Small businesses were the ones that were most affected. ZNAP was created with the intent to help and support small businesses (the backbone of any economy) survive. The launch of our cashback model, which acts like a loyalty platform for smaller businesses, helps them retain existing customers, as well attract new customers to their establishment. The drive to survival is more superior than a simple inspiration and has ensured we grow out of our comfort zone, pivot and look at things differently,” Rathod added.