First-of-its-kind survey reveals interesting consumer behavior

Dubai, April 30, 2015: In a first-of-its-kind project from a home improvement store, Al-Futtaim ACE has announced the results of its nation-wide survey that has revealed some interesting consumer behaviour.

The survey which was conducted online gathered responses from 1,112 participants across 13 different nationalities over a three-week period (March 03 - 22, 2015).

The survey looked at four key areas of home improvement including: Outdoor, Indoor, Do-it-Yourself (DIY) and Paint and asked questions which included where customers were looking for ideas for home improvement, whether customers were planning any outdoor and or indoor improvements,  what was most important to customers when shopping for paint, hand and power tools.

"The industry lacks customer-rich data which inspired us to create and conduct this survey that would gauge the pulse of the market, said Wayne Cohen, General Manager of ACE. "Through this survey we hope to better understand our customers and use this insight to improve our services and offer. We have already started this process and are confident customers will soon see and feel the positive impact from some of the changes that we have planned. For example, our Home Improvement Guide which we launch today, is filled with tips, ideas and inspiration that is designed to act as a handy reference tool while improving your living space," he added.

Key findings from the survey are summarized below:

Dates: March 03 to 22, 2015

Nationalities: 13

Number of respondents: 1,112

Channels: online

Product categories covered: Outdoor, Indoor, Do-it-Yourself (DIY) and Paint

General Home Improvement

Nearly 69% of our respondents prefer to do home improvements themselves vs. hiring someone to do it for them. Nearly 45% said they research for ideas on home improvement in-store before shopping; followed by online 21% and social media 17.5%

Majority of respondents (83%) said they were looking to make some sort of improvements to their home/ living space this year

46% of our respondents plan to spend between AED 1,000 to AED 5,000 to make home improvements this year while 16% said they would spend between AED 5,001 to AED 10,000

More than half (53.8%) the respondents said they would be spending between AED 1,000 to AED 5000 to make changes indoor (vs. outdoor)

Outdoor  

Barbeque, outdoor furniture, mood lighting, pool, plants and accessories were ranked highest amongst our respondents as the most important features they would like to have in their outdoor space

However when it came to actual purchases accessories topped the list followed by barbeque, outdoor furniture, landscape, lighting and outdoor kitchen

Indoor

54% of our respondents want to update their kitchen appliances followed by almost 40% who would like to change fittings in their kitchen; while 23% would like to completely update their kitchen

60% of the survey participants said they were looking to add accessories to their bathroom followed by 30% who want to update bathroom fittings while 22.5% would like to re-paint and have some tiling work done

In the Bedroom/ living room 46% said they were looking to add new furniture while 41% said they were looking at painting their living space; 37.9% would add new decorative items

DIY

Almost all respondents own basic hand tools which includes hammers, screwdrivers and measuring tapes while very few own levelers or power tools

Buyers for hand and power tools both prioritise quality followed by price and brand. However hand tool users value expert advice more

Black & Decker came out as the most popular tool brand with 68% respondents followed by Bosch

Paint

When asked what they look for while buying paint, there was no clear winner with respondents valuing price, low chemical and odour content, brand, expert advice, colour options and colour mixing, lasting quality and guarantee/ warranty equally

Asked about their favourite paint brand Jotun was the clear winner with 40.5% followed by Dulux 19%. Clark + Kensington and Valspar collectively hold 4% of the respondents' interest

Also today, ACE launched its Home Improvement Guide (HIG) - a 52-page booklet packed with tips, ideas and inspiration across the DIY, Paint and Garden categories. The annual HIG features over 200 products with prices valid through to August 2015. A total of 200,000 guides will be delivered door-to-door across Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Al Ain.

"We are extremely pleased to introduce our first ever home improvement guide," said Mr. Cohen. "The guide contains the latest products from some of the best brands in the world together with tips, ideas and inspiration that have been put together by our experts. We are confident customers will find this guide handy when they are looking to improve their living space." 

Some of the brands featured in the HIG include Makita, Bosch, Black & Decker, Karcher as well as products exclusive to ACE including Gardena, Suki, Clark + Kensington, Royal and Valspar.

ACE now trades in seven  locations in the UAE including its flagship stores in Dubai Festival City and Yas Island, Abu Dhabi - and other stores in Sheikh Zayed Road (Dubai), Mina Road and Dalma Mall (Abu Dhabi), Al Wahda Street (Sharjah) and Bawadi Mall (Al Ain).

All ACE stores offer a wide selection of Outdoor Lifestyle, Gardening, Homeware, Paint & Décor, DIY, Automotive and Pet care products. With more than 33,000 great products, ACE offers world-class brands such as Karcher, Black & Decker, Makita, Clark + Kensington, Weber, Gardena and Leisuregrow. ACE also has a popular WOW range which has a host of quality products at everyday low prices.

For more information visit www.facebook.com/AlFuttaim.Ace.

About ACE:
Since 1924, ACE has been the world's local home improvement store committed to delivering quality, friendly and helpful service. Established in Dubai in 1991 by Al-Futtaim group, ACE now trades in seven  locations in the UAE including its flagship stores in Dubai Festival City and Yas Island, Abu Dhabi - and other stores in Sheikh Zayed Road (Dubai), Mina Road and Dalma Mall (Abu Dhabi), Al Wahda Street (Sharjah) and Bawadi Mall (Al Ain). As part of ACE's commitment to exemplary customer service, each of the 7 stores are also certified as 'ACE Helpful' in keeping with global ACE standards. This ensures that customers find more than just products at ACE, they find helpful experts keen to offer support across all categories in store.

All ACE stores offer a wide selection of Outdoor Lifestyle, Gardening, Homeware, Paint & Décor, DIY, Automotive and Pet care products. With more than 33,000 great products, ACE offers world-class brands such as Karcher, Black & Decker, Makita, Clark + Kensington, Weber, Gardena and Leisuregrow. ACE also has a popular WOW range which has a host of quality products at everyday low prices.

ACE holds significant market share in the categories of Outdoor Furniture, Gardening and DIY in the UAE, and is THE major retailer in Power Tools.

More information about ACE can be found at www.aceuae.com and can be reached over facebook at www.facebook.com/AlFuttaim.Ace

For more information, please contact:
Nazneen Yasin
Public Relations Manager
GMASCO Marketing Communications
An Al-Futtaim group company
Tel: +971 56 216 2935
Email: Nazneen.Yasin@gmasco.com

© Press Release 2015