The period preceding White Friday, during the last week in November, is paramount for digital mobile marketers in the UAE, a new study has found.
Retailers are amplifying their mobile marketing campaigns following the rise of smartphone app purchases and the prediction that UAE e-commerce will generate $8 billion in sales by 2025.
AppFlyer analytics show that UAE organisations spent more than AED95.8 milliion ($26.08m) on mobile marketing, targeting primarily (58 per cent) android users and then iOS users.
AppsFlyer data displays seasonal fluctuations as general advertising spending on app installations climaxed in October last year, as marketers gained new users ahead of the White Friday promotional period in November.
After White Friday last year, ad spend sharply declined by 87 per cent until March 2022.
Additionally, AppsFlyer data demonstrates that purchases within shopping apps grew by 61 per cent on Android and 88 per cent on iOS between September and November 2021.
The week preceding Yellow Friday saw a 38 per cent increase in Android shopping app installs.
As expected, app spending peaked in the week edging near White Friday, growing 62 per cent on Android and more than doubling by 123 per cent on iOS.
The overall installations of shopping apps in the UAE on White Friday (November 26) itself rose by 24 per cent, compared to the previous three Fridays, with spend doubling by 99 per cent.
Interestingly, the White Friday period surpassed the ensuing Ramadan and summer shopping rounds this year, which saw app spending increase by a humble 26 per cent and 34 per cent on Android and iOS, respectively.
E-commerce industry lead at AppsFlyer, Sue Azari, told Zawya, “As the data shows, White/Yellow Friday has grown to become the most lucrative period annually for the retail industry, and increasingly, consumers are shopping for these sales on their smartphones.
“With the World Cup also happening this year, there’s a huge opportunity for brands to capitalise on increased demand. The key is to start early, run a mixture of user acquisition and re-engagement campaigns, and look for creative ways to stand apart from the competition.”
Samer Saad, the company’s Middle East regional manager, said: “With 91 per cent of UAE companies offering their customers a mobile app, this is a competitive space and mobile marketing is key to standing out and capturing valuable market share.”
