Most active smartphone users among UAE shoppers

More than 60% of consumers in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have used a smartphone at least once during their most recent shopping experience, whether online or in-store.

This is one of the findings of a report published by PYMNTS in partnership with Cybersource,”Global Shopping Index 2022: UAE Edition,It explores the technology preferences of UAE consumers and how they compare to those of other countries.

A key finding of the Global Shopping Index is that shoppers in the UAE are the most likely to use their mobile devices when shopping, compared to the other five countries surveyed.

When shopping in-store, 59.2% of UAE consumers report that they use a smartphone to aid their in-store shopping experience. This puts the UAE well ahead of the six-nation average of 32.8%, and well ahead of the UK, where only 23.6% of people receive smartphone-assisted in-store shopping.

read more: 59% of UAE shoppers use smartphones to enhance their in-store experience

Not only are brick-and-mortar shoppers in the UAE most likely to use smartphones to enhance their in-store shopping experience, but they also use these smartphones for a wider range of functions than shoppers in other countries.

When shopping in-store, UAE consumers most often use their mobile phones to find product information (24.8%) and compare prices (24.7%), but in all eight categories of smartphone-enhanced in-store shopping, the UAE has a higher preference than the six-nation average.

The UAE is also leading the way in pure mobile shopping. Among those surveyed, consumers in the country are most likely to complete their recent purchase entirely from their smartphone, with 32 percent saying they do.

Australia, Brazil, the UK and the US all have a preference for mobile-only shopping between 20% and 22%.

On the other hand, only 13.1% of consumers in Mexico use a smartphone to complete their entire shopping journey. It was also found that Mexican consumers are most inclined to complete their entire retail journey in-store – 77.9% of respondents in the country said they shopped and paid in-store during their last customer journey.

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