(MENAFN- Khaleej Times)More than a third (34 per cent) of UAE residents said that they make online purchases between one and five times a week a survey of purchasing behavior by Network International has revealed.
The survey results also revealed that five per cent of residents make purchases online more than five times a week. The most frequent use of online payments was for remittances to home countries (15 per cent) followed by payment of utilities (14 per cent) and high value items such as property or cars (12 per cent). One in 10 respondents said they use an online facility to pay for their children's school fees. Whilst most residents prefer to use cash or cards to shop in-store for items such as groceries clothes and household goods 15 per cent of respondents said they went online to purchase electronic items such as TVs or smart phones. One in 10 UAE residents said they purchased 'fast food' or 'takeaways' on the move using a mobile device. The ability to pay with a single click (50 per cent) robust security measures (46 per cent) and the advantage of purchasing on the move (39 per cent) were the top three reasons cited for making online purchases. Bhairav Trivedi CEO of Network International said: "The adoption of online shopping among UAE residents is a step in the right direction. As the study reveals customers are increasingly seeking convenient and secure forms of payment alternatives. This is especially relevant in the UAE as the country is certainly way ahead of the rest of the region with its high mobile penetration combined with its relentless drive to move towards being a smart economy." The findings of the survey also revealed that Asian expatriates are the most regular users of online payments platform with 35 per cent using the facility between one and five times a week followed by Emiratis (32 per cent) Arab expats (31 per cent) and Western expats (30 per cent). The study also found that adults in their 30s are leading the online purchasing trend. People between the ages of 30-39 reported the most regular usage (36 per cent) of online payments - between one and five times a week - followed by those aged above 40 at 33 per cent. Younger residents in the age bracket of 18-29 were slightly lower with under a third (31 per cent) of people making online purchases between one and five times a week. -
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.