Ramadan is the most sacred month of the year for the Muslim community and also an important time from a commercial perspective. Ecommerce brands enter a fierce competition as this time period follows a slightly different rhythm than other parts of the year. There is a huge increment in online retail sales in the week leading up to and during this month-long celebration. 

Shoppers around the Middle East tend to be busy during Ramadan. Their disposable incomes are rising, and they have a growing appetite for modest fashion, halal products, and services. During Ramadan, shoppers spend time with their friends and families after sundown and on Eid. Many do not browse or shop online. Thus, retailers must pick the right time of the week to increase their digital marketing efforts in order to achieve an uptick in online transactions as they capitalize on shoppers’ increased spending.  

Last year, we analyzed the top growing & declining eCommerce categories of UAE and found that almost all shopping categories expected a seasonal surge of spending during Ramadan. (check the post here). 

This year, Ramadan started early on Amazon in the Middle East as the platform saw a spike in promotions starting mid-March itself. 

The last two weeks of March witnessed a 63% increase in the number of promotions across the largest categories compared to the prior period and a 45% increase compared to the same period of Ramadan last year.   

The competition in capturing consumer interest is fiercer and the eCommerce platforms have managed to increase their traffic every year.   

What have we learned from Ramadan 2021?  

Sales peak during the first and last week of the holy month is well in line with the traffic trend during the month of Ramadan. 

What does this mean for brands?  

• Promotions 

As traffic is much higher during those two key weeks, allocate your promotions and offers to wow your consumers and capture their interests. Make sure that you don’t exhaust all your cards during the first week and keep some surprises for the Eid shopping.

• Inventory

Many brands face the challenge to maintain a healthy stock till the end of the month. Hence planning for the last week before Eid is crucial so your products are always available, and you don’t end up losing the buy box.   

• Media Spends

Align your media spending well. All brands will be competing for higher search rank and to win the bids on top keywords. Make sure to increase your budget significantly to win on paid search. Traffic will increase exponentially and brands will be bidding higher for top keywords. Your budget should take this into consideration.  

If your budget is limited, then focus on the first and last week to capture the highest traffic during this month.  

• Prepare your brand store 

Traffic to your brand store will increase during this month, whether from your paid media campaigns or from your product detail pages. Adapt your content on the brand store to make it as relevant as possible with the Ramadan theme to further increase engagement with the consumers. If you have certain large packs and bundles prepared for Ramadan, consider adding a section on your brand store for these products to create a seamless experience and increase the basket size.  

• Think big  

It is not a surprise that large packs are the most sold during Ramadan. However, in the eCommerce world, when it is convenient for shoppers to get their products delivered at a reduced price, consumers tend to buy extra-large packs that can go above 10 products per pack.    

Get in touch with PiWheel 

Our team of content and media experts will ensure you have a smooth landing during those events. We will plan ahead and update your listings with the top-performing keywords within your category. We will work closely with you to launch your media campaigns on Amazon which will increase traffic to your products detail pages and as well increase your return on ad spending. Connect with us here.