New research from YouGov has revealed that UAE consumers will not forgo quality to find the right price when shopping around for the best deals on their retail purchases.
Despite almost four-fifths (77%) of respondents claiming they compare prices of products before making the choice to purchase, and 70% claiming they are always on the lookout for the best deals and promotions, 70% claim they will always pay more money to find the right quality product.
The study shows that 67% of consumers overall claim they get a real thrill out of finding a bargain. This is particularly the case amongst females (74%), who agree they are always on the lookout for promotions, coupons and discount vouchers – significantly more than males. Asian Expats (72%) are also the biggest bargain hunters of all the nationalities in the UAE.
Interestingly, even celebrity endorsements don’t appear to sway the UAE’s bargain savvy consumers’ with 42% of respondents claiming they would not purchase a product just because it was endorsed by a celebrity, particularly females (47%).
Unsurprisingly, the price point of a product (63%) is the greatest influencer when UAE consumers are first considering which brand to buy from, followed closely by recommendations from friends and family (60%). However the results do show consumers largely stay loyal to brands with 63% claiming once they find a brand they like, they will stick to it.
Mass market brands appear to be striking the right balance with clothing products the most frequently with just over a quarter (26%) of respondents purchasing the latest fashion attire at least once a month. The most favorable price point is between $51 and $100 for both clothing (32%) and shoes (18%). This is followed closely by perfume with 22% of respondents spending money on their favorite scent at least once a month, particularly Emiratis who purchase it once a week (15%). Overall most respondents claimed they spend up to $50 on perfume from mass market brands (38%).
