Realising Potential Through Consolidation
The digital economy went through a disruption and high growth phase over the last few years, aided by the pandemic. While most sectors are still in nascency in terms of online penetration, a few sectors, like FoodTech, are more evolved in the region, with penetration levels higher than most other global benchmarks. And in such […]
The biggest ever World Cup
1. Online viewership expected to reach 5 Bn during FIFA World Cup 2022 5 Bn eyes are expected to be glued to FIFA World Cup in Qatar, expecting a growth of over 43% than the viewership witnessed during FIFA World Cup in Russia. Covid fueled digital penetration which has given fans multiple ways for football […]
What the 2025 runway looks like for UAE Fashion
1. UAE Fashion E-tail market poised to near 20% penetration by 2025 on the back of soaring purchase frequency rates An instrumental change to the UAE fashion scene in the coming years is that increase in frequency and average order value which will drive higher wallet share for online channel, will drive a lot more […]
Travel has arrived
1. UAE Travel market has recovered swiftly, closing in on pre-pandemic levels in 2H2021… In 2020, The travel market fell by over 65% owing to mobility and travel restrictions. However, Expo 2020, Global events like Dubai Shopping festival, Sport and Music concerts coupled with practical and responsive government policies, drove tourists to UAE and proved […]
Online Fundamentally Altered Grocery Buying Behavior
1. Grocery was the most underpenetrated online sector pre pandemic… The Grocery sector has been a predominantly offline shopped sector before the covid 19 pandemic, due to its essential nature. Consumers have always preferred to personally check the products before shopping for grocery as it directly impacts their health and wellbeing. Grocery shopping was a […]
MENA Economy: On the cusp of a digital revolution
MENA’s is riding the digital revolution. The digitally evolved population of Gen Z, Millennials, and Gen X is a fertile ground for digital solutions. Riding in the wake of the pandemic, its digital economy has experienced a manifold growth. It is estimated that 100 million plus consumers will shift to online services in next 5-6 […]
Luxury Retail: Online opening new horizons
Creators are now playing an equally important role compared to celebrities as the content is more relatable and the format is more engaging
MENA Games Market To Surpass $5 Billion Mark
Beyond the mentioned growth drivers, this massive growth also stems from the growing consumer influx from under appreciated cohorts such as females and Gen Z.
UAE Luxury Retail – Strong Tailwinds at play
Online channel has increased in prominence and now makes up ~20% of luxury sales in UAE currently influencing more than 90%
Vietnam Consumer Internet – Firing On All Cylinders
The fund-raising activity in 2021 in Vietnam has broken all previous year deal making records. 2022 continues to show a similar trajectory
Unwrapping Ramadan 2022
Ramadan is a $6.2 Bn online sales event in MENA. Festive periods account for ~40% of annual e-tail in MENA.
MENA Dark Kitchen estimates revised upwards – a $2 Bn+ opportunity by 2025!
Dark Kitchens would account for 13%+ of the FoodTech market in 2025 the penetration would be significantly higher in UAE & KSA
The UAE Pre-owned market is the new market
Buying is seen as a better value-added proposition especially for home and electronics sectors where the estimated duration of use can be higher.
Neo Banks – Disrupting India’s Banking Landscape
Salary accounts of white-collar employees, with a Lifetime value of ~3X, seem an addressable market and the best way forward for neobanks
Black Friday – $6Bn Online Shopping Event
Black Friday is a critical event in the retail calendar in MENA. This event which was first launched by Souq (now Amazon) as a 3-day online only event has now expanded to over six weeks of Q4. The event has been so popular that ~20% of annual online retail sales happen during the Black Friday sale period.
Key Black Friday Trends:
a. The Market is Stabilizing:
Last year BF season achieved +90% YoY growth; this year YoY growth is expected to stabilize at ~30%; Sales to reach ~$6 bn during BF period.
b. Differentiated Strategies are going to be at play
In terms of strategy, higher focus on private labels, Inventory led fulfilment and fast delivery speed are expected.
c. Consumer is moving beyond discounts
Discounts will become a right-to-play during BF. For right-to-win, other factors such as offer variety and exclusivity and experience will be key.
Dark Kitchens – The Bright Future of Food Services
Pre-COVID estimates of $16bn, the food services market is now estimated at $9bn in UAE as lockdown restrictions suppressed the sector.
How MENA is shopping post COVID-19?
Lockdown measures have led to growth for e-tail. The growth rate during the lockdown has been ~20% by order volume and ~40% by value resulting in annualized GMV of $11 Bn.
Ramadan and Covid-19 Pandemic; an ordeal for retail
E-tailers generate ~25% of their annual GMV during Ramadan time, which when compared with White/Yellow Friday sale, stands at ~5%. Brands also realize the importance of Ramadan where many engage in activities such as launch of new products, new services, bundling of offers. A third of their annual marketing budget is spend in promotion of the same.
Impact of Covid19 on Consumer Internet
India Consumer Internet Performance (during lockdown) Published on: 2nd April 2020
Money on the Platter for e-b2b
Brands across categories are facing challenges in their existing distribution network owing to fragmentation
MENA gearing up for Ramadan – Fashion insights
1. Fashion shopping in Ramadan peaks during Eid week Fashion is the most exciting retail category, when it comes to Ramadan shopping in MENA. Excitement levels for clothing are high throughout the festival season, however it peaks during the Eid week. When this trend was studied at country level, UAE and KSA followed the same […]
Middle East Online Retail comes of age (Part 2)
1: Niche models gain traction Noon and Amazon have emerged as the key players in the online marketplace in the region. However, niche players have also emerged who either have a specific focus on customer segment, category or business model. Some niche marketplace examples are around grocery, value focussed, pre-loved fashion and gifting: 2: Electronics continues to […]
Middle East Online Retail comes of age in 2019
Insight 1: Fast-paced etailing market growth in 2019 Online retail market grew at a fast pace this year compared to last few years – greater than 35% this year compared to ~25% annually over the last few years.
Home Services Market Updates
‘Convenience’ ranks much ahead of ‘price’ as the main reason to avail on-demand home services Published on: Dec 2019 Compared to many sectors, on-demand home services has a high share of ‘convenience seeking users’ Which is likely to enable players to rationalize pricing and driving better unit economics in the long run Home services consumers […]
Retail 3.0 : The emergence of the omnichannel
1. Organized B&M is expected to grow at a CAGR of 20% while online retail is expected to grow at a CAGR of 35% till 2022 Published on: Nov 2019 Organized retailers have gradually expanded into several categories and no longer stick to just one format or product offering. They have been leveraging their brand […]
E-Tailing’s changing category mix and future of lodging
Despite slowing growth of mobiles category, e-tailing firmly on track to grow 32% in 2019 and reach USD ~82 Bn by 2022 Published on: Sep 2019 2019 to see the slowest growth in online mobiles sales in the last five years Despite the slowdown in mobiles, e-tailing to continue its rapid growth trajectory owing to […]
GCC – World’s first omni-channel superapp?
GCC – a unique market showing characteristics of both developed and developing markets GCC countries have most of their population concentrated in urban centres. This helps the organized retail players to make a deeper reach out to the population, resulting in a high representation of organized players in retail. This characteristic of the high share […]
Can MENA Have A Superapp?
Globally, apps are taking superapp journey by adding services to its offering and increasing per-customer revenue Published on: Jul 2019 A country/region becomes superapp ready when its large base of the population is smartphone first instead of desktop and the ecosystem of apps customized to local needs is not evolved. WeChat in China leveraged this […]
Decoding The Indonesian Online Seller
Sellers prefer an online retail platform majorly for their consumer reach followed by their UX/UI experience and word of mouth Published on: Jul 2019 Our research shows that Top 4 platforms are especially preferred for their reach, while sellers sell on social media primarily due to its zero commissions and easy to use UX/UI (and […]
Retail Technology – The Next Frontier
Diabetes care market in India is ~$17 Bn in size as of FY21, expected to grow 3X+ to ~$59 Bn by FY31.
Online Interior Design Market Updates
Buy Full Report Customization and Lead qualification key to scalability in the Online Interior Design market Published on: Apr 2019 Online Interior Design market is a large and fledgling opportunity in India (RSC estimates the market to be ~$ 100 mn in FY19, with online penetration of <1%). Despite the large addressable opportunity, leading Online […]
Online Grocery Market Updates | Middle-East
Buy Full Report Share of organized grocery retail in UAE+KSA is expected to increase to 80% by 2022, from current 60%; Unorganized grocery retail to shrink Published on: Jan 2019 RedSeer estimates grocery retail to grow at CAGR of ~5% to reach size of USD 73 Bn by 2022, from current USD 60 Bn for […]
Fintech Insights | Middle-East
1. Fintech: Funding in MENA fintech is led by lending and payment focused start-ups Published on: Oct 2018 Fintech based start-ups in the MENA region are seeing a lot of traction recently with a funding of ~USD115mn till date, of which ~75mn is received within last two years. UAE is the most popular geography among […]
Cab Aggregation Insights | Middle-East
1. Cab: After a first wave of rapid growth, MENA’s cab hailing market is ready for the next wave of expansion into smaller cities and realize its huge potential Published on: Sep 2018 MENA region’s online cabs market has grown rapidly to reach similar scale as its better funded regional peers in India and SE Asia in […]