Ramadan in UAE: Retailers offer up to 70% discounts

The UAE retailers have announced massive discounts and offers up to 70 per cent and ahead of the Holy month of Ramadan.

Many retailers have started pre-Ramadan sales, as most UAE residents prefer to stock up before Ramadan in a bid to avoid going out shopping for groceries during the Holy month.

Ramadan will be observed for the second year in a row amid the raging Covid-19 pandemic. The discounts and offers are likely to provide massive relief to residents.

LuLu Group has launched its pre-Ramadan sales called Ahlan Ramadan, which started on April 1 and until the Holy month that is likely to start from April 13.

V Nandakumar, director of marketing and communication LuLu Group, told Khaleej Times: “The initial drive is about getting ready for Ramadan. It shows our preparedness for the Holy month, as we know people like to stock groceries and they don’t have to go out while they are fasting.”

LuLu group’s key focus area this Ramadan, Nandakumar, said is convenience, safety, and affordability. “ One of the policies that will be implemented for the convenience of our customers during the holy month will be the ‘price freeze policy’ where we will lock the costs of certain essential food/grocery products. So, even if demand goes up and supplies’ charges increase, we ensure that these essential goods won’t be affected. We’ll have periodic booklets on product promotion that will reveal our new offers and discounts.”

The group, he said, would be offering between 20 and 35 per cent discount on groceries during the holy month. “We’ve more promotions on weekends such as the ‘weekly price busters’ that will begin every Wednesday and go on till Saturday throughout Ramadan. Our customers can follow our social media channels to see our promotion catalogues and know about the discounts and sales so it will help them save money and add to their convenience of shopping,” he added.

The hypermarket chain has also launched ‘Ramadan kits’, which are pre-packed Ramadan boxes that come in two variants worthbDh80 and Dh120. These include essential commodities such as rice, sugar, sauces, etc; and cost 20-25 per cent less than the regular market price.

Al Maya Group that has 52 supermarket stores across the UAE will be offering up to 50 per cent discounts on certain products across categories, during the Holy month.

Kamal Vachani, Group Director of Al Maya Group, said: “ All our stores will have Ramadan promotions throughout the holy month. On weekends we will have up to 25 per cent discount on specific categories as well as 50 per cent discount on certain products. Items that will be covered in these promotions will include dates, butter, water, fruits, vegetables, frozen foods, bakery products, pasta, ketchup, olives among others.”

Al Maya stores are open 24x7 throughout the year and are fully prepared with enough stocks to welcome people during the Holy month.

“For customers’ safety amid the Covid-19 outbreak, we are providing free home delivery by either phone or online orders. From signages to keeping a safe distance, wearing masks, providing sanitisers, to offering gloves to our customers when they walk into our stores, we will continue to follow all safety guidelines issued by the authorities,” he added.

Another popular supermarket chain Westzone group, which has recently opened its 125th branch in the UAE, has jumped on the Ramadan bonanza bandwagon. It has announced up to 70 per cent discount on items during the Holy month.

Bharati Vatnani, head of procurement and marketing at Westzone Group, said: “We just completed a round of pre-Ramadan promotion for our customers where we offered around up to 40 per cent off on certain products. During the Holy month, we'll be having weekly Ramadan promotions, which will culminate with an exclusive promotion for our customers on Eid-Al-Fitr. We’re looking to offer discounts between the range of 20 per cent up and 70 per cent.”

Westzone would mainly slash prices of products, Vatnani said. It will also have buy-one-get-one offers along with some bulk packs for families. “ While mostly it is food and grocery items that sell out fast, but we also see a surge in the sale of kitchen equipment such as pans and cooking utensils,” she said.

She added: “We have well-maintained stocks and deploy the state-of-the-art logistic facility that uses advance management to control our inventory, so we ensure our procurement and stocks are well in place. I’m also glad to announce that we have gotten all our staff fully vaccinated before the Holy month so we can offer our customers a safe shopping environment when they visit our stores.”