JEDDAH: The rate of online shopping in the UAE increased to 42 percent in 2010 from 29 percent in 2009, MasterCard survey showed. The survey also revealed that growth is led by consumers within the age group of 25-44 years, while those in the 35-44 years age group also purchased more items and more frequently than others. Involvement with online shopping also increased among women in the UAE, with 40 percent of respondents accessing the Internet for online shopping in 2010, compared to 33 percent in 2011. In terms of mobile shopping trends, the survey noted strong potential for growth in the UAE. Only about 1 in 8 individuals made purchases through their mobile phones in the past three months; however, among those who did not purchase through their mobile phone recently, about one-fourth are likely to do so over the next six months. Airline tickets (31 percent), phone applications/software (24 percent) and products/services in online games/virtual world (18 percent) were the top three categories purchased by UAE consumers through their mobile phones. Eyad Al-Kourdi, vice president and country manager, UAE, MasterCard Worldwide said: "It is encouraging to see the positive trends in online and mobile shopping in the UAE." "We are seeing more UAE consumers go online for lifestyle purchases as well as day-to-day household items. This trend in consumer behavior shows that today's tech savvy shoppers are diversifying not only what they buy, but how and where." Categories leading the growth in the UAE in 2010 include airline tickets (74 percent) and hotel bookings (66 percent), followed by home appliances and electronic products (32 percent), clothing & accessories (34 percent), restaurants/home delivery of food (32 percent) and supermarkets/superstores (32 percent). Notably, convenience shopping such as restaurants/ home delivery of food and supermarkets/superstores grew to a third from about a fifth.
