Dubai: Dh50 million worth of prizes are up for grabs at Gitex 2013, which will showcase a staggering 30,000 products over the eight-day tech extravaganza from October 5-12.
Hemesh Chandavarkar, director of consumer cluster, exhibitions and events management, Dubai World Trade Centre, (DWTC) told XPRESS, “We’re looking forward to an exceptional show this year with more than 30,000 cutting-edge gadgets at unmatched prices.
“From promotions, visit and win raffles (Intel based tablets and entry into raffle to win an Opel Astra GTC every day for eight days), scratch and win competitions, gift vouchers and giveaways, it’s all there at Gitex 2013,” he said.
Two times better
Allaying concerns about any dip in interest with Gitex now becoming a twice-a-year affair, he said: “Gitex Shopper Spring 2013 was an undisputed success with strong visitor numbers and excellent sales reported (estimated Dh93 million generated in four days). Both Shopper 2012 and Shopper Spring were sold out, which is a clear indication of the consumers’ appetite for the event.”
Niranjan Gidwani, Deputy CEO of Eros Group, said in fact the success of the spring edition in April had further established Gitex’s position in the Dubai sales season. “For the electronics industry this is a crucial period as it is a key time to introduce new technologies and products and phase out old ones at rock bottom prices,” he told XPRESS. “Gitex is an exhibition where consumers have access to all the latest technologies in one place and they can compare packages, prices and features to make the best choice convenient for them.”
Chandavarkar maintained there was no worry on buyer fatigue despite some sales or the other always on in Dubai. Though there are always ‘sales’ happening throughout the year, “nowhere else you can find all power retailers and top brands offering unbelievable deals at the same time and under one roof,” he said.
Ashish Panjabi, COO of Jacky’s Electronics, echoed these sentiments. “Gitex Shopper typically is when most major product launches happen whether it be for smartphones, tablets, laptops, digital cameras or even televisions. The timing of the event is such that a lot of back-to-school shopping typically gets held back till Gitex Shopper and also since Shopper comes just before the start of a busy festive period (Eid, Diwali, Christmas), a lot of gifts are purchased typically around this period,” he said.
Brand launches
Nadeem Khanzadah, retail head of Jumbo Electronics, said: “Gitex is synonymous with technology and, due to this focus, brands go the extra mile for the biggest consumer technology event of the year. Often new product launches are planned in time for Gitex and the marketing calendar is determined well in advance to do justice to the regional spotlight on technology, as opposed to generic shopping festivals – which are definitely important as well – but they are not as specialised as Gitex,
“Gitex Shopper is the most anticipated and the biggest annual consumer electronics retail platform with power retailers and world class brands and a reputation of bringing in the best offers and bundle deals across the IT and consumer retail sector. Shoppers wait year round to get their technology fix at the annual event,” he added.
Srinath Nagarajan, Business Head-MEA, Mobility Business Unit, HCL Infosystems said: “Consumers not only from Dubai but also from the nearby regions come in huge numbers as there is great value seen here.GITEX offers the best of the products and brands under one roof. In terms of consumer offers GITEX takes out the best from all brands.”
GOOD GROWTH
Last year, participating retailers reported sales in excess of Dh237 million and DWTC expects to go better this year. “We expect record results this year,” Chandavarkar said. “We anticipate over 200,000 people to visit DWTC with the show open 12 hours each day, the Metro station metres away and ample parking near the venue,” Chandavarkar said.
So what will be the products to look out for this year?
“Smartphones and tablets continue to be primary revenue driver for the industry, followed by laptops and notebooks,” said Chandavarkar.
Panjabi agreed: “This will be the year of the smartphones. We have major launches happening from LG (G2), Sony (Xperia Z1), Samsung (Galaxy Note III), HTC (One Mini), Nokia (Lumia 1020) and BlackBerry (Z30) and aggressive data offers from both telecom operators,” he said.
“Smartphones, laptops and tablets should all do well but we are seeing real innovation in the television space. In the last one year we’ve seen a spate of releases of Ultra High Definition (UHD) or 4K TVs. These offer unrivaled picture quality which is four times higher than normal HD TVs. The advantage of UHD TVs is that they are able to upscale regular HD content automatically and thus you don’t need to wait especially for local broadcasters to start transmitting UHD content. We have now UHD TVs coming in various sizes ranging from 42” to 85” from brands like Sony, Samsung and LG at this year’s event. Most UHD TVs are also internet-enabled and can be used in conjunction with your home network or smartphone,” he added.
Gidwani also felt smartphones, tablets and accessories will do well. “We will be showcasing the NOTE 3 which is expected to be the hosteller in this period. Also on display will be a wide range of Smart TVs, LED & 3D TVs and Galaxy S4 among other products.”
According to Khanzadah new phone and wearable devices have already created a buzz this year. “Especially the six new smartphones being launched across leading brands like Nokia, Samsung, Blackberry, Sony, LG and HTC,” he said.
The release of wearable devices such as Samsung Galaxy Gear and Sony Smartwatch are also likely to attract interest, though not necessarily big sales.
Nagarajan felt tablets would do well. “I believe tablets will rule. We are launching ME Champ tablet- the first-of-its-kind tablet for kids in the UAE.”.
So what deals can one look forward to?
Khanzadah of Jumbo said: “We have three blockbuster offers on TVs, smartphones and DSLR’s.
“We have a number of very exciting offers lined up for the upcoming Gitex Shopper 2013 ranging from smart phones to LED/LCD televisions, tablets, DSLR Cameras, and laptop computers to name a few. In terms of product categories which we anticipate will make waves, Smart TV growth is estimated at about 36 percent in terms of value, and the current sales growth in tablets is estimated at about 50 percent in terms of units during the first half of 2013.”
He said that along with Sony, Jumbo now offers brands like Nikon & Canon in DSLR cameras, and Samsung, LG and Sharp in TVs,” he added.
Gidwani of Eros said “Smart phones and tablets are the top players now and I think the competition will be between these two segments. We will be giving out special deals during Gitex which will range from LED TVs to Smartphones to Tablets and much more,” he said
Panjabi refused to reveal details about their [Jacky’s] offers, but promised they would be eye-catching.
