One of the latest Ramadan trends according to consumer behaviour insights observed in the past few years, is that less people are spending more money compared to the past.
Most people only make essential shopping trips for items they really need during Ramadan, and some don’t shop at all. Increased prices is one of the negative aspects of Ramadan.
Food & Beverage Insights
When looking more closely at eating and drinking habits during Ramadan, Muslims who fast during Ramadan still feel ‘it is easy to fast’.
Dates are very much still the favourable way to break your fast and people prefer to break their fast at home with their family.
When it comes to meal sizes during Ramadan, most people prefer to eat a light meal/snack at Iftar time only. However, eating only a big meal at Iftar, or eating light snacks at Iftar followed by a big meal later for dinner, are equally popular.
As for people’s drink of choice during Ramadan, water is the most favoured beverage, followed by juice, coffee and tea. Fizzy drinks and energy drinks were the least popular.
Lifestyle Changes
In recent years, people’s behaviour changes has reduced slightly and most function as usual. Many pray more and most spend more time with family during Ramadan.
UAE residents generally spend more time at home during Ramadan, especially females. Prayers and religious practices are the clear top of mind associations with Ramadan. This is especially true among women.
Unsurprisingly, the most popular topics of conversation during the Holy month center around religion, with music and movies being the topics avoided the most amongst Muslims.
The activities considered inappropriate during fasting hours are listening to music and dancing. Swearing is the most inappropriate activity when fasting.
Negative Aspects of Ramadan
Over-eating is a negative aspect of Ramadan. The reflective occasion is a good time for people to get healthy and many see it as an opportunity to lose weight, but still most people don’t partake in any sporting activity during Ramadan.
When considering behaviour at work during Ramadan, there are key issues surrounding the workplace or school. Business inherently slows down during the fasting period – most people turn up late for work and leave work early. Interestingly, people have less patience at work during Ramadan.
Bad driving has marginally reduced compared to previous years, but it is still one of the negative aspects of Ramadan.
Opportunities & Change
As for the opportunities Ramadan presents, most people believe it’s a good time for people to learn about religion. It’s also a great time for families to become closer and most will agree it’s a good opportunity for people to engage in charitable activities.
When considering how Ramadan is changing, people are more generous during Ramadan now than they were in the past. More people engage in more charitable activities during Ramadan.
On the other hand, the spiritual meaning of Ramadan has been somehow modernized and many people feel Ramadan is becoming more commercial.
