A recent analysis of the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry revealed the most prominent changes in consumer behavior in the UAE during the period of the Corona pandemic, highlighting the "new natural reality" for consumers, through the analysis of data "Google" indicators for a number of terms and topics related to the behavior of daily research via the Internet, E-grocery terminology, distance learning, distance work and furniture, as well as holidays in the country, occupied a list of new online search behaviors.
The figures in analysis and graphs represent the interests of searches compared to the highest point. The value 100 represents the peak popularity of the term, while 50 indicates that the search term is half popular.
E-groceries
The analysis revealed that e-shopping using a website or online application has become an increasingly important base for many consumers in the country. As the UAE residents ’interest in e-grocery reached its peak in April, before it receded during May, which was expected, as once consumers define the electronic sales outlets that they want to shop and approve, they will conduct fewer searches on this topic.
Recent data from MasterCard later reflected this pattern, as it showed that online card payments for groceries in the UAE witnessed 99% year-on-year growth in February, 252% annual growth in March, and 316% annual growth in April. Popular queries with the highest increase in search frequency include "online grocery" and "grocery delivery".
Distance learning
The analysis pointed out that sitting at home during the epidemic period prompted the country's residents to desire to improve their skills and knowledge via the Internet. As shown in Figure 2, searches for "online training courses" peaked in April 2020, before falling slightly in May. This decrease is normal, and may not be interpreted as a decline in interest, but rather as a result of finding appropriate training courses online during the month of April, and following them in May, which leaves less room for further research.
Popular searches in the field of distance education that have recorded the highest increase in search frequency include "online training courses", "harvard online courses" and "free online courses which give certificates".
Distance working
There is a sudden surge in interest in teleworking, which peaked in March 2020, as a large portion of companies relied on home-based work protocols. The gradual decline in the popularity of this research in April and May is considered normal as the population has become more familiar with the concept of work from home. Popular queries with the highest increase in search frequency include "working from home in Dubai" and "how to work from home".
The search for furniture online prior to the spread of the epidemic was a common subject, as electronic search data appears, while the attractiveness of searching for this topic during the recent months, especially for "IKEA" and "Home Center", has emerged on the ground.
Consumers spending more time at home have increased their awareness of the design of their homes and furniture, which has led to more searches on the topic. The presence of a large number of employees working from home in recent months has increased the need for home office furniture. Popular search queries that have recorded the highest increase in search frequency for the phrase "IKEA" "IKEA delivery", "IKEA office" and "IKEA online".
Spending holidays inside the country
The term holiday in the country refers to a period in which an individual or family spends a vacation and participates in recreational activities near the home. Population awareness of this concept appears to have appeared in the UAE in late 2016 and has gained popularity since then.
The recent restrictions on movement around the world to curb the spread of the new Corona virus are giving a strong boost to this concept. Other factors have contributed to the increased interest of the UAE residents in spending the holiday in the country, including the fact that this period coincides with two major holidays (i.e. Eid Al Fitr and Eid Al Adha), along with the fact that the summer season has historically been the preferred time of the year for residents to take their annual leave. Popular search queries with the highest number of searches included "vacationing in Dubai", "vacationing in the UAE" and "holiday spending deals within the country".
With these changes in the behavior of consumers in the state, and the addition of more companies to the race towards benefiting from these emerging trends, the need for digitization has become more important than ever to gain efficiency and flexibility, with the possibility of companies that successfully integrate technology solutions into their current operational operations Supply chain management systems are a major competitive advantage in the new competitive landscape shaped by the emerging Corona pandemic crisis