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29 March 2024

Gitex Shopper Day 2: Crowds after sandstorm

Gitex shoppers in Dubai April 1. 2015. (Osama Abughanim)

Published
By Vicky Kapur, Bindu Rai, Joseph George, Meesha Kapoor and Jumana Ghuloom Abbas
 

 

Today is Day 2 of the four-day Gitex Shopper Spring 2015, one of the UAE’s biggest and most anticipated consumer electronics retail shows.

The electronics shopping extravaganza runs until Saturday, April 4, and features a mix of regional and international brands and retailers offering cut-throat prices and bundle deals on a range of technology, communication and entertainment products.

 

#Gitex shoppers hit by Dubai sandstorm. World Trade Center metro station. Video by Joseph George

Posted by Emirates247 on Thursday, April 2, 2015

If Day 1 sales were any indication, the smartphones segment is clearly dominating sales, with a majority of shoppers preferring the devices to everything else put together on offer at the Shopper.

According to a snap poll run by Emirates 24|7 yesterday, more than half (54 per cent) of respondents said they were at Gitex Shopper Spring Edition looking to purchase a smartphone, followed by almost a quarter of respondents stating they were at the venue scouting for deals on laptops.
 
Another 9 per cent were there to purchase television sets while a mere 6 per cent were looking for deals on tablets, and the remaining 7 per cent were there looking for other items, perhaps from the Shopper Smart Living exhibition that runs simultaneously.

The smartphones story was definitely playing on retailers’ minds as they offered juicy bundle deals and discounts on even the latest mobile phones.

“We’re expecting a wave of excited shoppers on the lookout for new launches such as the Samsung S6 and S6 Edge, which are available for pre-orders at Gitex Shopper Spring 2015,” said Nadeem Khanzadah, Head – Retail, Jumbo Electronics.

“The S6 Edge’s innovative display is bound to stir some interest. Highly anticipated products like the HTC One M9 and latest range of MacBooks are also likely do well,” he said.

“Even better, we’ve put together some best-value deals for shoppers who want the most out of their Gitex experience,” he added.

“Our forecast for this year is positive, with a 10-15 per cent expected growth in sales revenue compared to last year. In terms of spending growth, the consumer electronics category remains one of the strongest in the region. As innovations keep up the momentum in the industry and consumers in the Middle East readily embrace them, we can expect even more success for Gitex Shopper in the years to come,” Khanzadah said.

On purchasing laptops, mobile phones, MacBooks or televisions, Jumbo will give shoppers premium free add-ons, including Sennheiser headsets, Sony speakers, Ferrari bags, Seagate 500GB hard drives, Romoss power banks, selfie sticks, MicroSD cards and cardholders, among others.

Customers can also avail exclusive offers on select products, where they stand a chance to receive a free iPad mini, soundbar, gift vouchers with Dh5,000 and more.

“We believe smartphones will continue to be the driver for the event, but we will see panels and IT deliver strong results on the back of great savings and new line-ups,” added Sean Connor, General Manager of Plug Ins.

“We are expecting iPhone 6, Samsung S5, Note 4, A5, HTC One M9, new IT products featuring convertible/hybrid laptops, touchscreen desktops and ultra-high definition panels to be the primary crowd pullers,” he noted.

Within the smartphone category, for any purchase made at the Plug Ins stand, customers receive free gift vouchers, Bluetooth headsets, power banks, multi-chargers, selfie-sticks, SIM cards, Micro SD cards & Xtouch phones. On buying a tablet, customers would be eligible for gift vouchers worth up to a value of Dh1,000 while buying a panel could raise the value of gift vouchers to up to Dh11,000. Notebook customers will get carry case, anti-virus, headset, speaker, E-Phone, hard drive and tablet free with it.

Lenovo added to its family of smartphones in the UAE by launching two new smartphones at Gitex Shopper – the Lenovo P70 with 4000mAh battery (Dh899) and the Lenovo S90 with a front LED selfie flash (Dh1,199).

“With over 130,000 people expected to attend Gitex Shopper Spring 2015, we’re excited to once again be part of the largest consumer electronics exhibition in the region. Following Lenovo’s tremendous successes in previous editions, we are showcasing the world’s first 9 carat solid gold laptop and launching the Lenovo S60 smartphone exclusively at Gitex Shopper Spring. As with every year, we will have fantastic promotions and bundles on select Lenovo devices,” said Mohammed Hilili, General Manager at Lenovo Gulf & KSA.

“Lenovo has become the third largest smartphone vendor in the UAE in less than two years and the launch of the P70 and the S90 is a testament to our continued commitment to introduce powerful yet stylish smartphones in the country, at a wide range of price points,” added Sharay Shams, Smartphone Business Head for Lenovo Gulf, Egypt and Levant.

The opening saw thousands of visitors enjoying the fun festival atmosphere, with music, entertainment and a host of competitions and prizes up for grabs. Excited shoppers have already snapped up deals on TVs, laptops, and a broad spectrum of electronic gadgets, with the smartphone segment once again dominating sales.

According to organisers, while many savvy shoppers have already taken advantage of the big offers and great bundled deals, visitors planning to attend the electronics extravaganza over the remaining three days will still enjoy countless deals on over 35,000 products.

Marco Vocale, Head of Corporate Marketing at Samsung Gulf Electronics, said: “We are excited to introduce our SUHD TV at the show – our new flagship TV completely redefines the viewing experience with nano-crystal technology. Shoppers will also have the chance to experience and pre-order the Samsung Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge, the most advanced smartphones on the markets, before they hit the stands. Of course, we’ll also have the most competitive promotions available.”