Highly digital savvy shoppers in the UAE are the most mobile-centric and omnichannel consumers in the world, a new study has found.

Over 70 per cent of in-store shoppers in the UAE said they are more likely than others to use their smartphones to enhance their shopping experience, especially to look up product information and compare prices at other merchants using their devices.

On the other hand, merchants in the Emirates are far more likely than their counterparts in other countries to provide mobile-based features for their brick-and-mortar shoppers. Seventy per cent of merchants offer cross-channel digital profiles, allowing consumers to access their identification and payment infor­mation both in-store and online. In other words, merchants in the UAE are more likely than the average merchant across all six countries to provide digital profiles that their shoppers can access both in-store and online, according to a survey, “The 2022 Global Shopping Index: UAE Edition,” conducted by Pymnts and Visa Cybersource survey.

Globally, the UAE ranks 44th in digital quality of life, according to a global digital wellbeing study that also finds that the Emirates has the fastest mobile internet in Asia.

According to the Digital Quality of Life Index, the UAE's internet quality, considering internet speed, stability, and growth, ranks 3rd in the world and is 54 per cent better than the global average.

Regarding internet speed alone, the UAE's mobile internet ranks higher than fixed broadband in the global ranking, operating at 247.7 Mbps/s (1st globally). Meanwhile, the fixed broadband internet comes 13th.

Nearly one-third of all local eCommerce shoppers picked up their most recent purchases in-store or via curbside pickup. This reflects consumers’ strong penchant for mobile-enabled shopping experiences, which is just one of many traits that make the country’s eCommerce market unique on the world stage, said the Pymnts and Visa survey report.

“UAE shoppers’ strong pref­erence for mobile commerce touches every aspect of their shopping journeys, including their in-store shopping expe­riences. Meeting these mobile-centric shoppers' needs is crucial to the success and growth of businesses in a market that is steadily progressing in its cashless journey,” said Dr Saeeda Jaffar, Visa’s SVP and group country manager for GCC region.

“With the growing interest in online and mobile shopping in the country, responsible digital retailers are looking to improve their systems to provide their customers with a seamless and secure shopping experience online and in-store shopping experiences for customers. These statistics allow retailers to identify challenges and adapt to consumers' mobile preferences to make their retail journey safe and frictionless."

The survey revealed that 65 per cent of consumers used smartphones at some point throughout their most recent retail journeys while over a third completed their last purchase entirely via a smartphone

Another finding is that shoppers who use their phones in-store encounter nine per cent more friction than their counterparts in other countries.

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