PHOTO
With retail centres and malls in the region returning to more normal opening hours, shopping patterns in Saudi Arabia and Dubai are changing, a new study has revealed.
GapMaps, a retail mapping platform, collected data from devices to analyse how shopping behaviors have changed.
“Looking at different retail typologies in KSA and Dubai, we can see a clear picture of depressed visitation levels during the lockdown period and the emerging patterns as retail destinations open up,” Simon Newberry, Director MENA at GapMaps said.
Insights from the study include:
Post lockdown, all centre types (tourist precincts, neighborhood, regional) experienced a dramatic fall in patronage with regional and tourist destinations showing the most dramatic fall.
In both Dubai and Saudi Arabia, neighborhood centres maintained greater levels of visitation. According to the report, this reflects their orientation towards convenience retail activity.
Weekend peaks are less apparent as we emerge from the lockdown. Shoppers are now distributing their mall visits more evenly across the week.
Before the lockdown, most of the shopping was done in the evening. During and after the lockdown, the preference for evening shopping was impacted by restrictions on opening times, leading morning shopping to become more popular.
(Writing by Gerard Aoun; editing by Seban Scaria)
#SAUDI #UAE #RETAIL #CORONA
Disclaimer: This article is provided for informational purposes only. The content does not provide tax, legal or investment advice or opinion regarding the suitability, value or profitability of any particular security, portfolio or investment strategy. Read our full disclaimer policy here
© ZAWYA 2020
