The mobile path-to-purchase for Saudi Arabian main shoppers

LONDON - SINGAPORE - DUBAI
OnDeviceResearch.com
February 2017
The mobile path-to-purchase for
Saudi Arabianmain shoppers
Key planningimplicationsfor marketers

Now is the time to understand the mobile path-to-purchase!
It is estimated that by the end of 2016, 70.5% of the Saudi Arabian population will own a smartphone,
equating to nearly 20 million people.
Mobile has changed the way consumers behave both online and offline; it has changed how brands
market themselves and in an increasingly fragmented media environment mobile throws up a whole
new host of exciting planning implications and considerations that touch all areas of the marketing
process.
This survey aims to unpick how mobile fits in to the path to purchase at all stages in the branding
funnel and to provide actionable recommendations for marketers and brands wanting to take
advantage of mobile marketing to target main shoppers.
The survey also looks at differences between the customers of Saudi Arabia’s major supermarkets:
providing useful planning implications for the supermarkets themselves and also brands distributing
their products through these stores.
Sample: 500 smartphone users
Fieldwork dates: 2nd to 14th November 2016
Source: eMarketer 2015

AWARENESS
RESEARCH AND
DISCOVERY
PURCHASE
The path to purchase: a well trodden consumer journey from brand
awareness, to product research, to purchase and order fulfilment

AWARENESS
RESEARCH AND
DISCOVERY
PURCHASE

Where are main shoppers buying their household goods?
HyperPanda dominates when it comes to supermarket shopping among main shoppers, but with only
11% saying they shop elsewhere, habits are focused around the thirteen major supermarket brands
listed
Base: Main shoppers
11%
4%
6%
6%
7%
7%
12%
12%
15%
17%
18%
24%
25%
50%
Other
Manuel Super & Hypermarket
Al Sadhan
Grand hypermarket
Nesto Hypermarket
Al Raya
Farm
Bin Dawood
Tamimi
Al Danube
Lulu Hypermarket
Carrefour
Al Othaim
HyperPanda
Which supermarkets have you shopped at in the past month?
Base: main shoppers

When talking to main shoppers, mobile offers the frequency of usage
to help brands build awareness
91% of main shopper smartphone owners use the mobile internet on a weekly
basis (compared to second placed TV on 81%): more than any other form of
media. Frequency of exposure to media and advertising builds awareness.
Base: main shoppers, Question: How frequently do you access…
91%
81%
77% 76%
71%
55%
52%
48%
% of users who access media at least once a week
Mobile Web TV Desktop Web On Demand TV Outdoor Radio Newspapers Magazines

Mobile dominates for customers of the big three supermarkets. For
Al Othaim, On Demand TV is more popular than desktop web….just
Base: All respondents, Supermarkets shopped in last month. Question: How frequently do you access…
42%
52%
56%
76%
79%
80%
89%
95%Mobile Web
TV
On Demand TV
Desktop Web
Outdoor
Radio
Newspapers
Magazines 38%
49%
56%
73%
75%
80%
81%
94%
45%
52%
52%
72%
75%
83%
86%
97%
% of users who access media at least once a week

On Demand TV viewing is a truly cross device habit
Main shoppers are as likely to watch on demand TV on their smartphone as
they are a traditional TV
Base: Main shoppers. Question: How do you watch on demand TV / video
40% 40% 25% 14%
How do you watch on demand TV / video?

1. Frequency: Awareness driving and brand building campaigns are built on
frequency of exposure. Nowhere can you drive frequency faster than with mobile.
TV is no longer the medium of choice for main shoppers and marketers should think
beyond traditional channels in their strategic planning.
2. On demand TV: Awareness driving campaigns rely on reach. While still
second to traditional TV in terms of frequency, on demand TV is a mass-media that
cannot be ignored – particularly for Al Othaim’s audience.
3. The on demand mobile video opportunity: The
smartphone is as popular as a traditional TV set for watching on demand. The
confluence of mobile and on demand TV represents a still untapped opportunity for
brands to achieve cut through in what is still a relatively nascent market.
Three key learnings for building brand awareness among main
shoppers

Whenitcomestoresearchingproductstobuythesmartphoneeven
beatswordofmouthformainshoppers!
Recommendations from friends and family have been supplanted by the
smartphone as the channel of choice for product research. The power of
physically looking at an item in store should not be overlooked though.
Base: main shoppers
Talk to
friends and
family
26%
Use social
media / Use
price
comparison
sites
22%
Go in to store
to look at
items
24%
Read
information on
my smartphone
27%
1st 2nd 3rd 4th =
Question: When researching a product or service to buy, how do you do it?

OnDeviceResearch.comBase: : main shoppers
1) Go in store
2) Friends and
family
3) =Smartphone
and Social
media
1) Smartphone
2) Go in store
3) =Price
comparison
and Brand
websites
1) Social Media
2) = Smartphone
and Friends and
family
4) Price comparison
sites
Question: When researching a product or service to buy, how do you do it?
Planningconsiderationsdifferbysupermarket.Carrefour’saudience
appearstobethemosttraditional,whileforAlOthaimsocialmedia
comesoutontop.Mobileappearsinthetopfourforallbrandshowever.

What information are main shoppers looking for on their phone?
Base: main shoppers
16%
17%
18%
23%
26%
34%
Check product availability
Find if the product is in an alternative shop
Find where an alternative store is
Read product reviews
Check product information
Check prices
When in a store or mall in the past three months have you used
your smartphone to…
The rise of showrooming: Searches for prices, product information and
reviews all enhance the physical shopping experience

Second screening is a very real phenomenon. Traditional media and
digital media can combine to drive product research, especially
among Carrefour shoppers
24%of main shoppers have looked
up something on their phone
which relates to TV adverts
they are watching
Base: main shoppers. Question: When watching TV, do you ever:
20%
25%
22%

1) The smartphone is the product research tool: In a world
dominated by an abundance of choice, the smartphone plays a crucial role in keeping main
shoppers informed. It is now the dominant method of product research – beating even
word of mouth and visiting an actual store.
2) The rise of showrooming: Over three quarters of smartphone users are
showrooming: enhancing their physical shopping experience with instant mobile
information. Checking prices, product information and reviews are what consumers are
looking for on the go while shopping in-store.
3) Multi-screening: The smartphone is a permanent fixture even when
consuming other media. When planning TV creative, consider that just under a quarter of
smartphone users search for content related to a TV ad on their smartphone
Three key learnings for driving product research on mobile

Main shoppers aren’t shy about making purchases on their
smartphone
Base: all respondents; Question: What have you purchased on your smartphone in the past three months?
79%Have purchased a product
or service on their
smartphone in the past
three months
81%
81%
73%Saves me time: 20%
Research on mobile when in store: 19%
Shopping on mobile is convenient: 16%

For main shoppers the supermarket may dominate for food and
household product shopping, but the smartphone isn’t far behind,
with a quarter purchasing via mobile
24%
14%
25%
6%
58%
29%
Send someone else to do it (e.g. maid)
On the high street
On my smartphone
On my laptop or desktop computer
In a supermarket
In a shopping mall
Food / Grocery / Household
In the past 3 months, have you purchased any of these items in this way? Base: main shoppers
Base: main shoppers

Purchases seem to have been made more recently in Carrefour and
HyperPanda
20%
21%
14%
17%
41%
51%
In a supermarket
In a shopping mall
On the high street
On my laptop or
desktop computer
On my
smartphone
Send someone
else to do it (maid,
children, partner)
18%
23%
13%
15%
43%
64%
16%
19%
9%
13%
38%
64%
Base: main shoppers
In the past 3 months, have you purchased [food, grocery, household] items in this way?

For those shopping in store, the attraction of tactile product
experiences is still strong when it comes to purchase fulfilment
Base: main shoppers,
19%
26%
26%
28%
28%
42%
Shopping in a store or mall is less hassle than
shopping online
Shopping in store or mall is less risky than
shopping online
Shopping in a store or mall is more fun than
shopping online
Shopping in a store or mall makes returns and
exchanges easier
Shopping in a store or mall can be a sociable
experience to enjoy with friends and family
I prefer to inspect the actual product I am
buying personally before purchase
For which of these reasons would you shop in a store or mall rather than
online?

20%
32%
33%
37%
41%
50%Prefer to inspect
products
In store is less
risky
In store is more
fun
Returns are
easier
Sociable
experience
Less hassle than
online
Although product inspection is key for all supermarkets, Carrefour
shoppers are more motivated by fun, sociable experiences
Base: main shoppers
20%
35%
30%
39%
30%
46%
17%
29%
32%
32%
32%
52%

The primary motivator of online shopping is people getting their
time back to do what they want to do
Which of these statements do you agree with in relation to shopping online?
Base: Mai n shoppers, Question: Which of these statements do you agree with in relation to shopping
online?
21%
19%
18% 18%
17%
xxx
Shopping online gives me more time to do what I want
Researching products to buy is easier online than in store
I find it easier to shop online than going into stores
I can gather the opinions of other people more easily when shopping online than in a store
I have more choice shopping online

18%
27%
28%
25%
27%
Gives me time
back
Researching
products is
easier
Gathering
opinions is easier
Easier to shop
online
More choice
online
For Al Othaim and Carrefour shoppers, ease of opinion gathering is
the key driver of online purchase however
Base: Main shoppers, Supermarkets shopped in last month. Which of these statements do you agree with in
relation to shopping online?
20%
22%
25%
23%
20%
22%
19%
21%
20%
23%

Digital activity can drive physical purchase fulfilment in multiple
ways
40%Have used a coupon or
discount on a mobile phone
when shopping instore
46%Of smartphone users make a
purchase and have it delivered
to them at least once a week
Base: all respondents. Questions: How often do you get items you have purchased delivered to your
home or work? Have you ever used a coupon or discount on your mobile in-store?
12%Like to pay online and
then collect in-store

1. Mobile purchasing is mainstream: 79% have made a mobile
purchase in the last three months. Time saving and the desire to research products
are key considerations and brands need to make sure they are fully mobile optimised
to capitalise on these consumer demands.
2. The supermarket still dominates for food and
household purchases however: The desire to have physical contact
with a product cannot be overlooked. However, with 25% of main shoppers buying
food and household products via smartphone, offline and online activities can be
combined to form a unique showrooming experience.
3. Main shoppers want their time back: In a cash rich, time
poor society, the main motivator of online shopping is giving people their time back
to do what they want. Aligning brands with simplicity and convenience is key in the
new digital economy.
Three key learnings for driving product purchase on mobile

AWARENESS
RESEARCH AND
DISCOVERY
PURCHASE
1. CONSIDER MOBILE IN THE
MEDIA MIX: 91% of smartphone
owners use the mobile internet
on a weekly basis. More than any
other form of media, including TV
2. ENSURE DISCOVERABILTY OF PRODUCT
INFORMATION ONLINE: Smartphones are
now the primary product research tool. A
quarter of consumers are prompted to
conduct mobile research by TV ads
3. MOBILE OPTIMIZATION FOR M-COMMERCE
IS KEY: 79% have purchased a product or
service on their smartphone in the past three
months
Three key considerations on the mobile path to purchase

Thank you
Formoreinformationpleasecontact:
info@ondeviceresearch.com

The mobile path-to-purchase for Saudi Arabian main shoppers

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