Growing tech-savvy population boosting RAK's consumer electronics sector

Dubai - Omnichannel retail now standard practice, helping fuel sales and customer interest

Ras Al Khaimah's consumer electronics sector is growing, thanks to a growing population of young tech-savvy consumers who are increasingly well-informed on the latest innovations.
And omnichannel retail - the combination of multiple verticals to promote and sell products - now becoming a standard practice among companies especially here in the UAE, is helping this rise, a top official of one of Dubai's biggest electronics distributors says.
Offline and online stores are complementing each other "very much", Arvind Agrawal, head of Jumbo Group, said.
"In fact, it's now standard practice to have omnichannel... it's a highly-integrated model nowadays."
Agrawal was speaking at the opening of Jumbo Electronics' new store in Ras Al Khaimah on Sunday, its second branch in the emirate and an indicator of strong demand for technology products there.
And while online retail is fast expanding, Agrawal says that, somewhat on the contrary, for the company, both online and offline channels are on the same ground.
"We don't distinguish between online and offline. It's a question of what customers want or need at a certain time," he pointed out.
"For simple purchases, they can go ahead and shop online. But for more complex products that they want to experience first-hand before purchasing, then they check it out in-store."
The consumer electronics sector is complementing other areas of growth in Ras Al Khaimah, including tourism and manufacturing, all of which have been giving its economy a significant boost.
The Ras Al Khaimah store was unveiled in the presence of a number of the emirate's dignitaries, including Dr Abdulrahman Al Shayeb Al Naqbi, director-general of the Ras Al Khaimah Department of Economic Development; and Mohammed Al Mahmoud, acting deputy director-general of the RAK DED, along with representatives from Al Hamra Group, Al Manar Mall and Jumbo Group.
"Ras Al Khaimah is a focus market due to its growing importance as a tourist hub as well as the fact that it has a large local population," Agrawal said.
Al Hamra CEO Benoy Kurien added: We are now able to attract the world's leading brands [to Ras Al Khaimah]."
The new Manar Mall store is the 14th Jumbo Electronics store in the UAE.
- alvin@khaleejtimes.com

• Ras Al Khaimah