Middle East

Vending recorded significant declines in 2020 due to pandemic-induced lockdown periods and greater at-home consumption, resulting in limited footfall in public areas where vending machines tend to be located such as universities, railway stations,…

Despite a further positive value sales performance in 2022, the number of supermarkets in Israel continued to decline, a trend that was already evident prior to the emergence of the pandemic. The supermarket format is caught between convenience…

Small local grocers achieved significant benefits from pandemic-induced lockdown in 2020, especially as health food and organic stores, which appeal to consumers with specific diets that are not catered for by mainstream grocery retailers, were…

The pandemic had a significant impact on retailing in Israel, with essential grocery retailers, especially discounters and small local grocers, and health-related channels such as pharmacies witnessing dynamic growth in 2020, as Israelis stocked up…

Retail e-commerce, which was already gaining in popularity and recording impressive growth rates above the average in retailing in Israel over the review period, received a huge boost as a result of the pandemic in 2020, a trend that continued in…

Home improvement and gardening stores suffered from double-digit sales declines in 2020 as pandemic-induced restrictions meant prolonged store closures. Home improvement and gardening stores was considered to offer an essential service during the…

Sales through pharmacies witnessed strong growth in 2020 at the height of the pandemic as they were considered to be essential stores and were permitted to remain open during the lockdown periods. Many consumers therefore stocked up on essential…

Deemed to be non-essential, variety stores were closed for a significant period in 2020 and for part of 2021 during lockdowns in Israel in line with further waves of the COVID-19 virus. The channel therefore witnessed a significant decline in value…

Discounters significantly benefited from the pandemic as greater at-home consumption and increasing price sensitivity amongst local consumers meant that they sought value for money. This resulted in double-digit current value growth for the channel…

Although some direct selling categories were negatively affected by the pandemic in 2020, including beauty and personal care, which traditionally benefits from the interaction between customer and sales consultant, the overall channel witnessed…

Convenience stores particularly benefited during the height of the pandemic in 2020 and part of 2021 and subsequent restrictions, which led to greater time spent at time at home for many local consumers. During this time, many Israelis preferred to…

Appliances and electronics specialists bucked its general declining trend in Israel in 2020, when the pandemic and various lockdowns resulted in home seclusion and the switch to remote working and learning. Value sales therefore notably increased as…

Apparel and footwear specialists suffered significant losses in terms of sales and outlet numbers at the height of the pandemic. These stores were considered non-essential and therefore were forced to close during all lockdown periods, and even when…

Cities are hubs for spending, with 80% of expenditure expected to be generated by urban areas in 2023. Spending growth in 2023 will, however, be sluggish, as cost of living challenges force consumers to be more conservative in their expenditure. Over…

The Abu Dhabi Public Health Centre (ADPHC) has launched a healthy vending machine programme in alignment with its goal of promoting accessible and nutritious food choices as an effective strategy to combat chronic diseases. The concept of healthy…

Grocery retailers is becoming increasingly saturated with leading players expanding their footprint in multiple formats, including the growth of specialised supermarkets focusing on organic options. Smaller and independent players are subject to…

As inflation and the rising prices of consumer goods, particularly for food and beverages, persisted in 2022, local consumers actively sought more affordable alternatives and explored ways to reduce their spending. Consequently, there was a…

The United Arab Emirates continued to show economic resilience in 2022, given strong public policy and infrastructure in place to support its growth. Local economic and public policies aimed at continuing this growth, economic competitiveness and…

Retail e-commerce in the United Arab Emirates became increasingly competitive in 2022 as the channel continued to record strong growth momentum. Retailers in the United Arab Emirates are embracing digitalisation to develop a more direct-to-consumer…

The Ministry of Economy introduced an initiative to control inflation by regulating the prices of household items and food in 70 outlets throughout the United Arab Emirates. Included among the products were cooking oils, eggs, dairy, rice, sugar,…