ABU DHABI // Shoppers in the UAE use smartphones more frequently to conduct research before making a purchase compared with others around the world, but still make the trip to the mall to buy, according to Google.
Based on numbers from the search engine’s Consumer Barometer, a free web-based research tool the company says helps “understand and compare how people use the internet around the world”, 53 per cent of local shoppers said they had used a smartphone to do product research for their most recent purchase.
That compares with 21 per cent in the UK, 28 per cent in the United States and 46 per cent in Hong Kong.
“A very high percentage in the UAE are researching online,” said Joyce Baz, head of communications for Google Mena.
“They are looking for inspiration and searching for choices and brands. The use of a smartphone can go on right to moments before they actually buy. Even when purchasing cars, people use smartphones right in the dealership.
“It’s the whole connected lifestyle. It’s so easy to research.”
Ms Baz said studies showed that more people were using mobile devices in their shopping journey. In Saudi Arabia, near the top of the list, 82 per cent of shoppers tap into their handhelds for research.
After finishing their research, 83 per cent of local shoppers bought the product at a physical shop, while only 10 per cent bought online.
This contrasts with the UK and US where it is increasingly common for shoppers to try out products in malls before making their purchases online.
In the UK, just 40 per cent of shoppers go to a shop to make their purchase and they are four times more likely to buy online than UAE shoppers.
Google’s numbers also point to a high degree of proficiency among UAE residents when using smartphones.
Thirty five per cent said they never encountered issues when trying to access websites, compared with 10 per cent in Hong Kong and 18 per cent in the UK and US.
“If I see a watch and it costs Dh1,000, most likely I’ll Google it and see how much it’s worth,” said Hamed El Moussalli, 25, as he browsed shops at Al Wahda Mall.
Giuliana Pistorio, 29, said her device helped her to find shops that carried the items she wanted, in the event a shop was out of stock.
“The smartphone is the easiest way,” she said.
Tareq Masarweh, analyst at Ovum, a research and advisory firm in Dubai, attributed Google’s numbers on smartphone use to residents’ daily exposure to technology.
“The average UAE citizen is exposed to a good deal of innovation and digitisation in comparison to the Arab world in general, not only the GCC,” he said.
Through services such as Dubai’s mParking, the Salik toll collection system and taxi service apps, he said users had a wide range of “digitalised processes embedded in their day-to-day lives”.
“This is mainly driven by all e-government initiatives that are really paving the way,” he said.
Data from Ovum shows the UAE had a 60 per cent smartphone penetration rate out of the total number of mobile phone users at the end of last year, compared with 50 per cent for Saudi Arabia, 56 per cent for Qatar and 58 per cent for Bahrain.
“They’re all more or less close, but the UAE remains in the lead,” he said.
esamoglou@thenational.ae
