The UAE’s e-commerce sector is expected to see continued growth as consumers have come to expect retailers to have an online presence post COVID-19.

UAE residents are the biggest online spenders of the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia region, spending $1,648 annually, with the average transaction value being $122 in 2019-20, compared with $76 in mature markets and $22 in emerging markets.

The UAE e-commerce Landscape 2020 survey showed that online e-commerce will account for 21.9 percent of all card payments in the country this year, up from 19.7 percent in 2019.

The Visa Stay Secure survey, conducted earlier this year, showed that 49 percent of shoppers had been shopping online more because of the pandemic, and 61 percent had been using cards or digital wallets more instead of cash for online deliveries.

Increased trust in the safety, speed and convenience of online payments were cited as the top reasons for the increase in such payments.

(Writing by Imogen Lillywhite; editing by Daniel Luiz)

imogen.lillywhite@refinitiv.com

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© ZAWYA 2020