89% of UAE Customers Are Digital Converts to E-Commerce: Sitecore
Sitecore the global leader in digital experience management software, recently announced that 89 per cent of customers in the UAE, and 91 per cent of customers in the Middle East and North Africa, have become digital converts since the pandemic and want to keep buying everything online. The research, conducted by YouGov MENA, surveyed more […]
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Sitecore the global leader in digital experience management software, recently announced that 89 per cent of customers in the UAE, and 91 per cent of customers in the Middle East and North Africa, have become digital converts since the pandemic and want to keep buying everything online.
The research, conducted by YouGov MENA, surveyed more than 650 IT decision-makers across 12 countries in the Gulf Cooperation Council, the Levant, and Egypt.
Boosted by the stay-at-home economy of COVID-19, the Middle East’s eCommerce market reached USD 12.1 billion in 2020, representing 53.8 per cent year-over-year growth, according to a recent report by MarketLine. Electronics and retail accounted for USD 5.2 billion or 42.5 per cent of the total market.
As eCommerce continues to grow, customers are placing greater emphasis on the customer experience. Since the pandemic, 90 per cent of UAE IT decision-makers said their customers will navigate away from a site and choose an alternative if they can’t find what they need in just a few clicks. Furthermore, 87 per cent of UAE respondents agreed that their customers have less patience with slow or poorly functioning websites.
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“With 89 per cent of UAE customers and 91 per cent of MENA customers being digital converts to eCommerce, the region is seeing a rapid transition from brick and mortar stores to hybrid and eCommerce models,” said Mohammed Alkhotani, Area Vice President – Middle East and Africa, Sitecore. “Millennials and Generation Z customers have quickly shifted their significant spending power online. Pressure will continue to mount on retailers until they can deliver an experience that delights.”
Brands in the UAE are taking a variety of actions to improve the shopping experience. The majority, 60 per cent, ranked an online app or website that works well on mobile devices as among their top three choices.
