Shoppers think twice about spending

Dubai - Many shoppers opined that while they had to shop for their family and friends back home, they would think twice about spending large amounts of money on themselves.

As the summer months roll by in the UAE, shoppers are making the most of the various summer sales at their favourite shopping outlets.
Shoppers this season, however, have revealed that they are being careful with what they are spending their money on. Many reported that while they had to shop for their family and friends back home, they would think twice about spending large amounts of money on themselves.
Speaking to Khaleej Times, Sophia Anwar, a Sharjah resident, said that she was shopping for her parents in Pakistan. "I am going on a small vacation with my family in August. Right now, I am just looking for some summer clothes for my children and some gifts for my family. There are a few good summer sales in many of the malls, so I don't have to worry too much about spending a lot of money."
Anwar also revealed that she had already bought several items for her family in Pakistan earlier during the Dubai Shopping Festival sales. Like many other residents, Anwar noted that she didn't wait till the last weeks before a vacation to go shopping.
"It pays to think ahead," said Hussain Raza, a Dubai resident, who bought some electronics for his family during the Gitex Shopper exhibition earlier this year. "I knew that I was going on vacation during the summer so I bought two new phones at Gitex for my brothers in Islamabad. I think that the best deals for electronics are at Gitex, so you can really save a lot by doing all your gadget shopping at that time."
Mariyah Mubeen, another shopper living in Dubai, explained how she had made the most of the spring sales in Dubai to shop for her newly born son, rather than wait for the summer sales. "I bought almost all the essentials like a baby stroller, car seat and baby crib during the spring sales because I wanted to be prepared for when my baby would be born. I think that I did almost 90 per cent of my shopping during the sales. Right now, all I am shopping for are maternity clothes for myself."
Mubeen also revealed that she received SMS' on her phone to notify her of sales and deals at her favourite shopping outlets. Like many other smart shoppers in the UAE, she says that the service has really helped her in saving money, while getting the best deals for her family.
For many of the shoppers heading to their home countries for the summer break, clothing, shoes, perfumes and gadgets were on the list of items to purchase. When it came to buying something for themselves, however, gadgets and electronics were on the top of the list.
Mohammed Tariq Anis, an Abu Dhabi resident, said: "I'm a huge sucker for gadgets. The only reason why I bother to shop for the newer phones is - quite simply - I lose the ones I bought prior to them. Otherwise, I wouldn't bother."
Anis also noted that shoppers today are becoming very careful about their technological and gadget purchases.
"The specs that come out nowadays, in a way, backfire. The rational buyer knows those specs can last you a half a decade and doesn't fall for the shallow looks or supposed features. When you think about it, even the untrained eye will eventually notice that as you buy phones, you'll realise how inevitably similar they are to the last ones. This means that there's a growing awareness that the technologies of the upcoming generations are really exaggerated. People eventually get how Ram/Cameras/Processors work. So basically, the irrational buyers are slowly evolving into rational ones," he said.
rohma@khaleejtimes.com

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