Shopping for Ramadhan peaks two weeks ahead of Eid

Source: Criteo Ramadan 2018 report.
Ramadhan graphic.

- The peak shopping period for Ramadhan 2017 was about two weeks before Eid al-Fitr

- Health/beauty and electronics categories saw the biggest sales uplift in Singapore, whereas Southeast Asia (SEA) saw the biggest sales uplift from health/beauty and toys/games. 

- More retail shoppers in SEA are shopping on mobile

Criteo, the commerce marketing technology company, has released seasonal data for Ramadhan from 2017 to help commerce providers better engage shoppers in anticipation of the festive season. According to the company, retailers should intensify their advertising campaign efforts during specific periods in Ramadhan to gain early visibility, increase engagement with shoppers and enhance sales.

The analysis revealed strong online sales in the Southeast Asia (SEA) region in the lead up to and during Ramadhan, which took place from 26 May to 24 June in 2017. Ramadhan 2018 begins 17 May, and ends 14 June. In 2017 online retail sales were at its peak on 8 June, about two weeks before Eid al-Fitr 2017 (25 June). Eid is on 15 June for 2018. 

A maximum of 52% increase in online retail sales was observed during this period in 2017, indicating exactly when shoppers are more compelled to spend for the season. Online travel sales also saw a gradual rise during Ramadhan, with the biggest uplift seen two days after Eid al-Fitr – a 14% uplift.

The top performing sub-verticals in the SEA region, based on uplifts in sales are:

- Toys and games – 62% (Singapore: 98%)

- Health and beauty – 53%(Singapore: 143%)

- Electronics – 42% (Singapore: 99%)

- Home and living – 42% (Singapore: 91%)

The trend is similar elsewhere. Shoppers in the Middle East typically shop a couple of weeks before Ramadhan begins as well, Criteo said. This trend continues to escalate during Ramadjan, where the highest uplift in sales was observed one to two weeks before Eid al-Fitr. 

Consumer electronics, fashion, and food and travel lead the way as the strongest performing sub-verticals, but more people are also shopping online for home and living goods, health and beauty products, and groceries. A difference between the region and SEA was that travel sales saw a surge in the last week of Ramadhan as many in the Middle East tend to travel during Eid al-Fitr, which also corresponds with three-month summer holidays in the region.

“The global halal industry is projected to surpass US$1 trillion in size by 2030*. Given that Ramadhan is a key festival in the region, SEA is set to contribute significantly to this market growth. We are seeing a rise in variety and awareness of halal products amongst Muslim and non-Muslim shoppers. Retailers can stand out by bidding more aggressively at the right time to boost online engagement and transactions,” said Alban Villani, GM, Southeast Asia, Hong Kong and Taiwan, Criteo.

Criteo’s findings also highlighted the need for retailers to optimise their mobile apps and sites for increased retail sales and travel bookings during Ramadhan. More retail shoppers in SEA are shopping on mobile, as seen by the maximum uplift of mobile apps at 64% (Singapore: 61%) and 52% (Singapore: 46%) on the mobile web. Travel sales are no exception, with SEA noting a 28% maximum uplift in sales for mobile apps three days after Eid-al-Fitr and the mobile web four days after Eid-al-Fitr respectively. 

For Singapore, the maximum uplift in sales for mobile apps was close to three weeks after Eid-al-Fitr at 20%, while maximum uplift in mobile web occurred slightly over two weeks after Eid-al-Fitr at 33%.

“Millennials are a rising demographic within the Islamic community*. They are tech-savvy and use social media to regularly connect with their favourite brands. With Millennials having a greater inclination towards discovering new online products and purchasing them during Ramadhan, this season presents retailers with a key opportunity to engage both first-time and existing buyers. This sets the platform for further engagement beyond the Ramadhan season, through our commerce marketing technology, to sustain brand loyalty and encourage repeat purchases. Our findings reinforce that mobile is an imperative channel for retailers to effectively reach out to Millennials,” said Villani.

Criteo’s findings were derived through an analysis of more than 44 million retail shopping transactions and more than 28 million travel sales transactions on desktops and mobile devices from 57 major advertisers across the SEA region.

Explore:

Read the Criteo report for SEA in 2018

*State of the Global Islamic Economy 2017/18, Thomson Reuters

Gulf Air opens new sales offices in North Pakistan

Source: Gulf Air.

Gulf Air, the national carrier of the Kingdom of Bahrain, has officially opened four new sales offices in the north Pakistani cities of Islamabad, Lahore, Peshawar and Sialkot. 

Gulf Air operates direct flights between Bahrain and the Pakistani cities of Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar and Sialkot with 23 flights a week in total. Flights to and from Pakistan can be booked either online at gulfair.com, through the airline’s 24 hour Worldwide Contact Centre on +973 1737 3737, through any Gulf Air sales office or at approved travel agencies.

The new offices will manage passengers’ ticketing and sales requirements and respond to any general enquiries. The new Gulf Air offices in Pakistan can be found at:

Gulf Air, Islamabad
Unit 1-A, Shahid Plaza, 

Blue Area Jinnah Avenue F-6/4, 

Islamabad.
Tel: +92 512 8100 2832

Gulf Air, Karachi
1st Floor, Kashif Centre, 

Shahrah-e-Faisal, 

Karachi.
Tel: +92 21 5675 2316

Gulf Air, Lahore
Lufthansa House 5-G/2, 

Block H, Gulberg II, 

Lahore.
Tel: +92 423 5763 4569

Gulf Air, Peshawar
UG-46, Deans Trade Centre, 

Peshawar Cantt
Tel: +92 9 1556 0778

Gulf Air, Sialkot
10 Ground Floor, 

Abdullah Trade Centre, Kutchery Road, 

Sialkot.
Tel: +92 524 2684 2831

Saturna boosts sales expertise in Malaysia

The Malaysian subsidiary of US-based Saturna Capital Corporation has announced the addition of Heddy Hussain, a veteran investment professional, as Director of institutional sales and marketing.

Heddy will focus on developing new relationships with institutional and high-net-worth investors, and distribution partners, while also managing overall sales for the firm. Having extensive experience in research, he will also complement the research staff and will be part of the team managing the firm's sukuk investment strategies.

Saturna began building sukuk capabilities in mid-2014 in Malaysia and received its first mandate towards the end of 2014.

Monem Salam, President of Saturna in Malaysia said: "Heddy will continue to work with investors seeking investment exposure through Saturna's ASEAN equity fund, which capitalises on investment opportunities in Asia's fastest growing markets, while adhering to Islamic investment guidelines."

Heddy has more than 17 years of investment experience, most recently as deputy director and head of equity research at RHB Asset Management, where he was responsible for leading the equity analyst team in their day-to-day operations as well as preparing RFP and RFI documentation on behalf of the investment team. Previously, Hussain served as Assistant VP at RHB branch broking, providing advisory and portfolio restructuring services for existing clients as well as conducting strategic planning for the company's growth.

He holds a diploma in Investment Analysis from the University of Technology Mara.

Saturna is licensed as an Islamic fund manager under the Malaysia International Islamic Financial Centre (MIFC). The company believes that Malaysia's comprehensive and progressive Islamic finance marketplace, which is open to the international community, will help the company build a strong Islamic investor base in Malaysia as well as among Asian and global investors.

"The interest for investing in ASEAN equities as well as sukuk products will continue to grow, and Saturna, with its award winning, values-based global investing expertise is well positioned to meet that demand," added Salam.

Saturna specialises in Islamic-compliant investment advisory services for individuals and institutions. It acts as a sub-advisor to the Crescent International Equity Fund, managed by Crescent Wealth, Australia's first Islamic wealth manager.

Saturna Capital is adviser to the Amana Mutual Funds (Amana Growth Fund, Amana Income Fund, and Amana Developing World Fund) that follow principles of Islamic finance.

posted from Bloggeroid

MIHAS 2014 reports 21% year-on-year increase in sales generated

Combined sales generated during the 11^th Malaysia International Halal Showcase (MIHAS 2014) exhibition and an incoming buying mission (IBM) programme organised by MATRADE was RM966.4 million, an increase of 21% compared to total sales last year of RM798.72 million. 
  

Source: MIHAS website

MIHAS is the largest Halal trade fair that focuses on the sourcing of Halal products and services to international markets. The four-day event attracted 20,818 visitors from 60 countries, an increase of 12.5% compared to the number of visitors last year. Over five hundred (521) companies from 26 countries manned 620 booths, compared to 430 companies last year, an increase of 21%. 

This year's winners of MIHAS awards were the Saudi Export Development Authority (SEDA) for Best Pavilion, Saudi Cold Storage for the Most Promising Entrepreneur and the Best Product Packaging Award was given to AMER – The Art of Taste CC from South Africa.
  
The IBM consisted of pre-scheduled business meetings between buyers and sellers on April 8. Four hundred buyers from 41 countries participated, including representatives from China, Japan, Korea, India, Mongolia, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Turkey and Qatar.

The key sectors which attracted strong interest among buyers at the exhibition were beverages, processed and ready to eat products, frozen food, seasonings and spices. However, the non-food and services sectors such as toiletries, body care, hygiene and financial products also contributed RM82.9 million of the RM489.2 million sales generated during the event.

MIHAS 2014 is part of the “World Halal Week” that consists of two major events - Malaysia International Halal Showcase (MIHAS) and World Halal Conference by two organisations - Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) and Halal Industry Development Corporation (HDC) respectively under the auspices of Ministry of International Trade and Industry. Next year’s MIHAS will take place from 1^st to 4^th April 2015 at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC), Malaysia.