74% of UAE’s Online Shoppers Expect to Spend More Online in 2022

New report finds that 74% of UAE’s online shoppers expect to spend more online in 2022

• Nearly half of UAE online shoppers (47%) expect to spend a lot more online this year than they did in 2021.

• Amazon and Noon top the charts as the most popular sites among online shoppers across all key product categories

DUBAI – May 24, 2022 – Global ecommerce accelerator Pattern has polled online shoppers in the United Arab Emirates to understand their online buyer behaviour, including how they are using marketplaces such as Amazon and Noon.

The results back up predictions of the growth in the UAE’s ecommerce market size from US$10 billion in 2021, to US$17 billion in 2025, according to Kearney. Overall, 74% of online shoppers polled said they would spend more online shopping in 2022. 19% expected to spend the same as in 2021, and just 6% expected to spend less.

The findings are included in Pattern’s UAE Shopper Report 2022. The research also shows that marketplace Amazon and Noon have fast become favourites among the UAE’s online shoppers. More respondents expected to purchase online this year from Amazon or Noon than other online retailers for every major product category, including fashion, consumer electronics, home and kitchen and beauty.

For example, in the consumer electronics category, 61% of online shoppers expect to buy from Amazon, and 42% from Noon. In comparison, only 14% expect to buy online from retailers with both stores and a website. This pattern is mirrored in many other categories. For home and kitchen, 60% expect to buy from Amazon, 46% from Noon and just 18% to buy online from retailers with a store and website.

Other key findings reported in Pattern’s UAE Shopper Report include:

‍UAE online shoppers want fast delivery – 39% of online shoppers want products delivered the next-day or quicker. 20% want products delivered to them the same day they order it.

‍Most shoppers buy from Amazon - An overwhelming majority of 94% of UAE online shoppers polled reported purchasing from at least one Amazon site in the last 12 months including 83% who had bought from the marketplace’s local Amazon.ae site. One reason for Amazon’s broad customer base is likely the strong take-up of Prime membership to get fast and free delivery. 67% of Amazon.ae shoppers have either their own Prime membership or access to someone else’s Prime account.

‍Customers are purchasing cross-border – 89% of those polled stated that they had purchased a product online that was delivered from another country during 2021. This shows that local retailers and marketplace sellers could grow their sales by expanding ranges with products not yet sold locally.

‍Amazon customers discover new brands on the marketplace – The opportunity for consumers to discover new products and brands through Amazon is evident. 42% of Amazon.ae shoppers polled, purchased a product from a brand that they had never purchased anywhere before. Pattern’s findings show that Amazon.ae is a great platform for brands to raise their profile amongst UAE’s online shoppers.

Pattern’s MENA General Manager David Quaife said on the report: “Online marketplaces are proving to be crucial channels for consumer brands to be visible in the UAE. Their popularity is set to grow further in the coming years. With shoppers looking to discover new brands and products, and both overall online spending and Prime usage forecast to increase, Amazon.ae; in particular, is a platform where consumer brands must build a strong presence if they want to grow their sales in the Middle East. If brands want to maximise their exposure and market share, they should also consider a presence on Noon as well.”

The consumer polling was conducted by One Poll during late 2021 among respondents in the UAE who reported they had shopped online in the previous 12 months.

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‍About Pattern

‍Pattern is the category leader in global ecommerce and marketplace acceleration. Since 2013, Pattern has profitably grown to more than 1,100 employees operating from 22 global locations – including Dubai - to help leading brands achieve accelerated growth on global marketplaces.As well as being one of the largest Amazon sellers in the world, we are also present on Noon, Tmall, JD.com, eBay and other marketplaces. We act as the authorised Amazon seller to more than 100 brands, buying their stock to sell on the marketplace and taking care of every aspect of their Amazon presence.