Creating a distinctive customer experience at Jumbo Electronics

Nadeem Khanzadah, Head - OmniChannel Retail, Jumbo Electronics Co. Ltd. LLC, discusses the growth of the consumer electronics market in the region

The growing demand for consumer electronics has resulted in global brands launching new products in the market at a significantly faster rate in order to accommodate the demands of the average tech-savvy consumer with a high-spending power.
Nadeem Khanzadah, Head - OmniChannel Retail, Jumbo Electronics Co. Ltd. LLC says that one of the hottest trends to have emerged in the UAE consumer electronics sector recently is Virtual Reality (VR) wear, which has been introduced by some of the largest technology brands.
According to Deloitte, the majority of revenue from the Middle East and North African region from VR this year will arise from gaming. However, VR wear is not just limited to gaming, and a technology of this nature has several other uses, such as experiential marketing and training. VR has the potential to transform not just the gaming industry, but the broader technology sector and other verticals as well.
According to International Data Corporation (IDC), smartwatches shipped worldwide is expected to reach a total of 34.3 million units in 2016, and forecast to reach 88.3 million units by 2019.
Khanzadah says, "We are seeing a real appetite for smartwatches and wearable technology that is being strongly driven by constantly improving compatibility with other mobile computing devices, ease of use, fitness-focus, aesthetic design and some high-profile collaborations such as Apple Watch. There is an increasing demand for sleeker, smarter wearable technology among tech-savvy consumers that companies like Apple, Samsung and Huawei are successfully catering to. Smartphones, laptops and TVs also continue to be top sellers."
At Jumbo the customer's journey focuses heavily on value-added services. For example, customers can return their old mobile phones, laptops, and tablets in exchange for new ones. Additionally, they can buy extended warranty alongside a great range of accessories that complement the device selection.
Often, consumers are reluctant to change devices as they are deterred by the perceived complexity of transferring data from one device to another. However, Khanzadah says that Jumbo's Unwired Crew ensures the transfer, backup, and restoration of all data from previous devices is done within minutes. Additionally the Unwired Crew can assist customers with a range of services such as data recovery support, initial computer set up, software installation and upgrades, hardware services and provided with in-depth guidance on product features and gadget capabilities.
He stresses that it has become increasingly important for organisations to create a distinctive and consistent brand experience across all touch points of the consumer journey. Modern day consumers are very informed and are also able to share positive or negative experiences in real-time.
"Brands and retailers need to ensure we are available across OmniChannel touchpoints, accessible round the clock, and we need to realise that customers don't just look at price and specifications when making a purchase," says Khanzadah. "On the contrary, they judge the entire experience, including responsiveness, value added services and post-sales support."
Khanzadah predicts that OmniChannel sales will soon become the norm in the retail sector. The importance of customer data and using it effectively is increasingly gaining importance. Offline and online marketing and merchandising efforts can be tracked against the Life Time Value of the customer through the revenue it generates and number of times the individual influences others. The use of mobile devices to discover and engage with products or brands is rising, and as a result, mobile-based content development will play a critical role in brand awareness and bringing an edge over pricing decisions.
He says, "For example, our one year of OmniChannel operations revealed that the purchase journey is getting more complex. The need to have hyper customised communication and user experience based on individual user behaviour is imperative. The effect of online impacting stores is clearly growing in significance, with consumers engaging at multiple points with Jumbo. As customer engagement rapidly shifts from desktop to mobile, even OmniChannel presence will have to be further refined."
Creating Opportunities
Jumbo is one of the UAE's oldest homegrown brands. Today, the company is expanding across the Middle East and India, but the UAE remains their base and continues to be an extremely important market.
"Currently, we believe that the most exciting opportunities for Jumbo as a brand lie in the UAE, given the path-breaking vision of the UAE government, and the recent initiatives that have been put into place," adds Khanzadah.
One such initiative is the Dubai Plan 2021 that describes the future of Dubai 'through holistic and complementary perspectives, starting with the people and the society who have always been, and always will be, the bedrock of the city.'
Additionally, the National Strategy for Innovation, launched in October 2014, has the objective of developing the UAE into one of the most innovative countries in the world within the span of seven years, through renewable energy, transport, education, health, technology, water and space.
Also, Dubai's increased focus on tourism for Expo 2020 aims at over 20 million visitors per year, giving rise to mass business prospects. This is where Jumbo's vision for growth is in alignment with the inspiring vision of the UAE's leaders and, as a brand, says Khanzadah, they are firmly dedicated to growing their business in the UAE, where their roots are. Jumbo, he says, expects continued momentum in the consumer electronics sector in the UAE, in spite of reports of a global economy slowdown.
He says, "The market in the UAE is such that the replacement cycle for electronics is shorter than the global average. This is also the case for the UAE's Middle Eastern counter parts, which provides a positive outlook for the technology sector not just in the UAE, but the region as well."
According to IDC, the MEA region anticipated the highest growth rate in the smartphone segment last year with shipments anticipated to have increased nearly 50 per cent year on year in 2015. This growth has even surpassed markets such as India and Indonesia which are known as "hot growth" markets, whereas markets like China have become a relatively replacement market.
Further, according to a Global Media Intelligence Report by eMarketer, mobile phone penetration in the UAE is forecasted to reach 82.1 per cent in 2017. Additionally, according to another recent report from IDC, laptops contribute to approximately 62 per cent of the total PC market in the Middle East.
Khanzadah says that since its inception, the Jumbo Group has evolved to focus not only on vanilla distribution and OmniChannel, but also on providing end-to-end channel value-added solutions. These solutions include, but are not limited to, device lifecycle management, backend management through reporting and analytics, 3PL logistics, after-sales service, marketing services and last-mile-sales staffing services (including promoters, merchandisers and training).
He says, "Going forward, Jumbo aims to continue its efforts to diversify as well as provide consumers with new technology experiences."
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