Grocery expenses typically make up the largest part of Ramadan shopping for households.
Families tend to go overboard when buying goods for iftars, suhoors and Eid Al Fitr, leaving a dent in their monthly budgets.
With inflation soaring globally on the back of rising energy and food prices, as well as supply chain disruptions, people in the UAE can adjust for costs incurred during the holy month with a few financial hacks.
Seventy-three per cent of consumers in the UAE plan to purchase their largest quantity of groceries during Ramadan, a March survey conducted by AdColony with research company GlobalWebIndex in the Emirates found.
About 45 per cent of consumers will visit stores for their Ramadan grocery shopping this year, while 46 per cent will shop online and use home delivery, the poll showed.
a wealth and wellness expert
Grocery and fashion will have the most significant rise in spending in the Middle East and North Africa region during Ramadan this year, with 87 per cent and 70 per cent of consumers planning to increase their outlay in these categories, respectively, said a March report by RedSeer Consulting.
Financial experts advise consumers to prepare a budget for their Ramadan shopping to give them an idea of how much they will spend during the holy month. Shoppers are also urged to stick to their budget as much as possible.
“Try to do your shopping in one go. This will avoid extra trips to the supermarket where there is opportunity to spend more,” says Rasheda Khatun Khan, a wealth and wellness expert and founder of Design Your Life.
“You will also avoid the chaos of extra busy supermarkets during Ramadan. If you need fresh produce that can’t be bought to last the month, then decide on which date you will do the rest of the shopping.”
Consumers are advised to also make a shopping list that covers the whole month to avoid impulse buys.
Bulk-buy your rice, lentils, olives and yoghurts, Ms Khan says. Include extra boxes of dates and other gifts for when you visit families during Ramadan, she adds.
Shoppers can compare the multiple Ramadan offers available across supermarkets and choose the best ones, Ms Khan says.
UAE residents can also rely on Facebook groups that compile the best available supermarket deals.
Dirham Stretcher is one such group that prepares curated lists of discount codes and deals. For Ramadan, the group will publish its updated groceries “cheat sheet”, which is a list of supermarkets that covers the product categories they sell, delivery fees, whether online purchases are available and if there are any additional discounts available.
“This grocery shopping cheat sheet is available on www.sum.ae and we will also send out a newsletter with the best grocery deals,” says Susan Syrek, administrator of Dirham Stretcher, which has about 80,000 members in the UAE.
The group negotiates with stores and online supermarkets to offer followers extra discounts.
“Make a meal plan and buy only what you need, don’t buy anything you see just because it’s cheap,” says Selma Abdelhamid, another administrator of Dirham Stretcher.
administrator of Dirham Stretcher
“Know where to buy or order from. Take advantage of bundle offers. Compare prices online as websites are generally cheaper than supermarkets and get an additional discount by using a code.”
Big supermarket retailers and online grocery platforms run month-long promotions, discounts and deals during the holy month.
Lulu is offering discounts ranging from 30 per cent to 50 per cent on more than 15,000 products in categories such as fresh food, grocery, home appliances and electronics. Ramadan promotions are available both in-store and on Lulu’s online platforms.
“During Ramadan, we usually see a surge in sales of food, grocery and home appliances in the initial days, followed by lifestyle, fashion and gifting as we near the Eid holidays,” says V. Nandakumar, Lulu Group director of marketing and communications.
The retailer has also launched “Ramadan Kits” with essential grocery products at discounted prices. Consisting of products such rice, sugar, milk powder, grains, oil, coffee and tea, the kits come in two sizes for Dh99 and Dh149.
One of the best tips to save money is to check the promotion booklets and Lulu’s social media platforms regularly to find the latest offers and deals, Mr Nandakumar says.
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The Mall of the Emirates in Dubai is decked with decorations for Ramadan. All photos: Pawan Singh / The National -
Ramadan in the UAE starts today, Saturday. -
Ramadan is the ninth and holiest month of the Islamic calendar. -
Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset every day of the month. -
Fasting is one of the five pillars of Islam. -
Respect and sensitivity for the religious customs associated with Ramadan are expected throughout the holy month. -
In most emirates, eating and drinking in public places — including cars — during Ramadan is prohibited. -
Malls remain open, so people can have access to supermarkets, shops, restaurants and cafes.
“It is a good habit to buy required quantities when it comes to fresh and perishable produce, while stocking upon non-perishable products when there is a deal,” he says.
Meanwhile, Carrefour will introduce new deals each week during the holy month and offer discounts of up to 50 per cent on more than 10,000 products including fresh and frozen food, beverages, kitchenware, home appliances and electronics.
With customers buying groceries in larger volumes than usual during Ramadan, Carrefour introduced bulk offers on essentials such as flour, butter and rice to help shoppers cut costs.
Making a shopping list can help customers stick to their budgets as well as reduce food wastage, says Christophe Orcet, head of commercial and operations of Carrefour UAE at Majid Al Futtaim Retail.
“To shop more sustainably, we recommend choosing locally sourced or UAE-origin products — which incur no import costs or food miles and hence benefit customers’ wallets as much as the environment,” he adds.
The retailer advises customers to follow its online and social channels to remain up-to-date on daily discounts.
Customers can also save money by using Share, Majid Al Futtaim’s loyalty programme, says Mr Orcet. They earn double the points when purchasing from Carrefour during the holy month. These points can be used throughout Ramadan or saved for future purchases, he adds.
Online shopping has surged after the Covid-19 pandemic, which permanently changed consumer habits.
A Visa survey in November 2021 found that more than six in 10 consumers in the UAE and Saudi Arabia are now shopping online more compared with pre-pandemic levels.
Earlier research by Network International revealed that UAE shoppers spent 40 per cent more per visit on supermarket websites than in-store during 2020.
Online marketplaces such as Instashop, Kibsons, elGrocer and Talabat account for a large slice of grocery sales in the UAE.
LuLu Group director of marketing and communications
Kibsons is offering a 20 per cent promotion for customers from March 26 until April 9, as well as from April 23 until April 29 in celebration of Eid.
“Even with less Covid-19 restrictions, people have realised the ease and convenience of online shopping,” says Dusty Tourani, procurement manager at Kibsons.
“Consumers should not always go for the lowest-priced items. This may be an excellent opportunity for customers to explore alternatives from different origins at a fair price point.”
Meanwhile, Dubai-based grocery platform elGrocer, which was last year acquired by e&, formerly known as the Etisalat Group, will offer a Dh50 discount on purchases above Dh250 during the holy month. It lists offers from its 500+ hypermarket, supermarket and speciality partner shops.
Customers can use CODE RAMADAN50 at check-out to redeem the instant discount, says Nader Amiri, founder and chief operating officer of elGrocer. Each user is allowed up to six redemptions until Eid.
elGrocer will also offer weekly promo codes when purchasing from participating brands across home care, food, personal care and beverages, among others.
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Shoppers flock to a textile market in the north Indian city of Srinagar days before Eid Al Fitr, the festival that ends the month of fasting. AFP -
An iftar gathering at Sunahri Mosque in the northern Pakistani city of Peshawar. AP -
A young worshipper waits to break his day-long fast in the southern Indian city of Hyderabad. AP -
Afghans line up to receive ration aid donated by the Chinese government during Ramadan, in Kabul, Afghanistan. EPA -
Children play at the Sarkhej Roza complex in Ahmedabad, India, during Ramadan. AFP -
A family takes a selfie as they wait to board a free bus, sponsored by Indonesia's Ministry of State-Owned Enterprises, to their home village in Central Java. AP -
Muslim protesters gather to eat iftar in front of the president's secretariat in Colombo, Sri Lanka. EPA -
The Jama Masjid mosque in Allahabad. AFP -
People head to the railway station in Dhaka to buy train tickets ahead of Eid Al Fitr, which marks the end of Ramadan. AFP -
People shop ahead of Eid Al Fitr in Karachi, Pakistan. EPA -
A man prays on the banks of Dal Lake in Srinagar. Reuters -
Bangladeshi Muslim students read the Quran in Dhaka, Bangladesh. EPA -
Reading the Quran during Ramadan is considered a rewarding act by Muslims, such as this man at a mosque in Pakistan's northern city of Peshawar. EPA -
Egyptian confectioner Mostafa Anwar makes a traditional oriental dessert called 'Kunafa' in Cairo. AFP -
The faithful break their fast during Ramadan in Colombo, Sri Lanka. AFP -
Muslims break their Ramadan fast at an open iftar outside the Royal Albert Hall in London. Reuters -
Iftar spread is laid out at Jama Masjid in the old quarters of New Delhi, India. EPA -
A young worshipper at Jama Masjid in the old quarters of New Delhi, India. AFP -
Orphans read copies of the Quran at the Majamma Nuruljinan in Pattani, southern Thailand. AFP -
A volunteer prepares iftar food at a shrine in Dhaka, Bangladesh. AFP -
Muslims break their fast at the Shah-E-Alam shrine in Ahmedabad, India. AFP -
A worker in Lahore, Pakistan, dries vermicelli used to make a traditional sweet dish popular during Ramadan. EPA -
Lorry drivers pray before breaking their fast in Lahore, Pakistan. AP -
Women offer prayers during the first Friday of Ramadan at the historic Badshahi mosque, in Lahore, Pakistan. AP -
Men attend the first Friday prayers of Ramadan at the Istiqlal Mosque in Jakarta, Indonesia. EPA -
A man prepares food for devotees to end their fast at the Jama-e-Masjid Aiwan in Hyderabad, India. AFP -
Muslims leave after offering first Friday prayers at the Badshahi mosque. AP -
Muslim girls read the Quran before the start of the Friday prayers at the Jamia mosque in Nairobi, Kenya. Reuters -
A man looks through a sunshade tent erected for worshippers in the compound of Jama Masjid in New Delhi, India. AP -
People attend the first Friday prayers of Ramadan in Peshawar, Pakistan. EPA -
Bangladeshi Muslims visit the mosque after attending Friday prayers during the holy month of Ramadan at a Baitul Mukarram National Mosque in Dhaka, Bangladesh. EPA -
Workers fry sweets at a traditional confectionery shop in the Afghan capital Kabul. AFP -
A young girl enjoys a great view of evening prayer at Istiqlal Mosque in Jakarta, Indonesia. AP -
A Muslim shopkeeper selling hijabs waits to have his iftar meal during the holy month in a street market in Mumbai. Reuters -
Blind Muslims read the Quran in braille in Medan, Indonesia, during the holy month. AFP -
A Muslim places food for people to break their fast on a roadside in Karachi, Pakistan. EPA -
A worker prepares vermicelli, used to make traditional sweet dishes popularly consumed throughout Ramadan, on the outskirts of Ahmedabad, India. AFP -
Women gather for prayer at a mosque in Narathiwat, Thailand. AFP -
An Indian worker stacks vermicelli at a factory in Allahabad, India. AFP -
Sugary drinks are prepared for iftar in Karachi, Pakistan. EPA -
Preparation for iftar is under way at a mosque in Kolkata, eastern India. EPA -
A woman reads the Quran as she waits for iftar at Istiqlal Mosque in Jakarta, Indonesia. EPA
Users can also check out the Smiles app to avail discount vouchers, Mr Amiri says.
With customers focused on preparing iftar and suhoor during Ramadan, elGrocer will provide offers on essentials such as fresh fruits and vegetables, butchery and bakery items, as well as gourmet grocery products like premium dates, Arabic sweets and speciality coffee, among others.
Meanwhile, during Eid, the online marketplace will focus on providing offers and discounts on food hampers and premium boxes of chocolates for family gatherings and celebrations, Mr Amiri says.
