UAE holiday shoppers mix clicks and bricks

Dubai: Clicks are not replacing bricks for holiday shopping, say UAE shoppers.

And latest global surveys tracking consumer spending show that while Christmas shopping online is increasing, traditional bricks-and-mortar retailers around the globe are experiencing similar demand.

According to Nielsen, a firm that monitors what consumers watch and buy, latest figures suggest that 75 per cent of people will shop online while 72 per cent of purchasers will shop at department stores.

“Online retail should continue to grow even higher this season, as 75 per cent of those who are holiday shopping this year plan on looking for the perfect gift online,” said Nielsen.

In a Nielsen survey earlier this year, 59 per cent of respondents in Africa and Middle East said they were willing to shop online, one of the highest rates in the world.

“The connected commerce era has arrived,” said Patrick Dodd, president, global retailer vertical Nielsen.   

“Consumers are no longer shopping online or offline; rather, they’s taking a blended approach, using whatever channel best suits their needs. The most successful retailers and manufacturers will be at the intersection of the physical and virtual worlds, leveraging technology to satisfy shoppers however, whenever they want to shop.”

Speaking to Gulf News, shoppers said visits to malls replete with Christmas trees, decorations and holiday carols is a more enjoyable seasonal experience.

And there are certain gifts people would prefer to buy online and others they would rather buy in person -- depending on the availability of the items, their type, and most importantly their budget.

For Fay Rodrigues, 22, shopping online for Christmas gifts would mainly be for vintage or unique handmade items, which are not usually found in UAE stores, but other than that, she says, nothing beats mall shopping.

“For this Christmas, I like buying most of the gifts in person because I feel like I can make good choices. I can see the items and touch them and check the sizes, but for house decorations, jewellery or collectables online is the best place to buy these items,” she said.

Rodrigues said an interesting gift that came across this year was an IPhone case with biblical passages on them on the back, which she got from Instagram for her mum and herself.

“It’s the first Christmas I buy things online and from the mall. I got tree ornaments, tier cake stands and most of the clothes from the mall and the rest of the presents online,” she said.

Jenith Kilalela, Phillipines, 42, a mother of two, said she likes to search for gifts online and if they exist in Dubai, she prefer to go and buy them in person.

“Some items cannot be found at the mall or are cheaper online but, in general, I avoid buying clothes online because my size and my children’s sizes are tricky, so I need to touch them and try them on to decide. I feel like it’s safe to do online Christmas shopping only for generic things like jewellery, watches and toys, which is what I did this year.”

Joseph Bejjani, a 22-year-old training manager from Lebanon, said mall shopping is his last resort because he gets great deals online.

“Usually the prices are cheaper online, so if I know what I need to get beforehand I just order it online. If I’m late with ordering and there’s no time for it to be delivered, I just buy it from the mall. I bought an IPhone 6 and a Note5 for my parents both for a really good price during the White Friday Sale,” he said.

As for Adela Acevedo Sarna, 36, a political advisor from Puerto Rico, she said she has never been a fan of online shopping.

Top 10 holiday songs

Our annual Christmas trips to the mall as part of seasonal tradition may have something to do with our reactions to holiday songs heard on the car radio or simply wafting through the crowds as we shop. Nielsen cited a survey in which respondents “said hearing holiday music on the radio put them in the holiday spirit.”

The firm released a Top-10 Christmas holiday songs according to stream demand by online users in the United States.

1. Mariah Carey, All I Want for Christmas is You, 1994
2. Brenda Lee, Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree, 1962
3. Pnetatonix, Mary, Did You Know?, 2014
4. Nat King Cole, The Christmas Song, 1949
5. Gene Autry, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, 1957
6. Dean Martin, Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow, 1959
7. Wham!, Last Christmas, 1985
8. Bobby Helms, Jingle Bell Rock, 1962
9. Michael Buble, It’s Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas, 2011
10. Burl Ives, A Holly Jolly Christmas, 1965

Source: Nielsen Music

Online sales
The UAE online retailing market is anticipated to be valued at $653.4 million in 2015 and is forecast to grow to $1.4 billion by 2019, according to data from Euromonitor International.

An assortment of online retail companies across the UAE report the top 10 product sales in the UAE:

1. Smartphones
2. Perfumes
3. Beauty products
4. Sunglasses
5. Watches
6. iTunes Gift Cards
7. Toys
8. Star Wars products
9. Hoverboards
10. Laptops and tablets

Source: Compiled by Gulf News