Cooking at home has become a major trend since the outbreak of the pandemic. As a leading food retailer in the UAE, how are you catering to consumer needs to make cooking at home faster and healthier?
Since last year, we have introduced online recipes, helping our customers create new and exciting dishes. We share our recipes with our customers weekly through our social media channels and they are also available on Choithrams.com.
In today’s market, we want to support our customers more in their journey with food, whether it is through new recipes or educating them about certain products and their health benefits.
Have you noticed an increased preference for eating local, healthy and organic produce?
Yes, we have noticed a trend for healthy eating, and it has been increasing year on year. The trend accelerated during the pandemic, encouraging Choithrams to add more options and ranges to meet our consumers’ preferences. Choithrams has also launched a new vegan and ‘free from’ range to meet market demand.
What other changes in eating and shopping have you noticed in the past few months and how have you adapted to the changes?
Customers have now started opting for healthier options and their eating out has, to an extent, been replaced by indulging in cooking at home. Parents are also purchasing healthier kids’ meals. With regards to shopping habits, our per customer basket size is increasing but the frequency of visits is still not at the pre-pandemic level as customers are still cautious.
On the other hand, online shopping has continued to increase. Since schools are closed, parents are looking for safe and convenient shopping for their family. As a brand, we have taken a step towards being hyperlocal where we deliver online orders from the nearest available store in order to provide quick and free delivery service; hence making the online experience more convenient for our customers.
Could you tell us a bit on Choithram’s Eid Al Adha offers?
We have planned exciting offers for Eid Al Adha. Our promotion is scheduled from July 15 to 25. The offer will be valid on a wide range of products in all our stores across the UAE and also on Choithrams.com
