UAE shoppers are prioritising connected retail experiences over single-day discounts during Black Friday, according to Initials Middle East, an independent retail activation agency that opened its Dubai office in October.
The agency is advising brands to treat the extended Black Friday and festive period as a test of their retail operations rather than a sales event, arguing that consumers now evaluate the complete purchasing process from discovery to delivery.
“Across the UAE, shoppers are redefining what a deal looks like. It is no longer enough to throw out a big percentage and hope traffic takes care of the rest. People are weighing up the whole journey, how easy it is to find the offer, whether the promise matches the shelf, and how simple it is to check out and receive the product,” Hemal Soni, Managing Director of Initials Middle East said.
Initials Middle East says UAE retail success depends on joined-up customer experiences
Soni added that brands succeeding this Black Friday would be those that “reduce friction, leverage data to cut cart abandonment and minimise returns because they have designed an experience that feels joined up from the first impression to consumption.”
E-commerce orders across the Middle East and North Africa increased by approximately 44 per cent in November 2024 compared with the monthly average, with Black Friday driving the growth. The GCC retail industry is projected to reach around $390 billion by 2028, according to forecasts.
The UAE e-commerce market reached AED32.3 billion in 2024 and is forecast to exceed AED50.6 billion by 2029.
Social commerce has become a component of retail strategy in the region. Deloitte’s 2025 Digital Consumer Trends report shows that 73 per cent of consumers in Saudi Arabia and the UAE made at least one purchase through social media in the past year.
Initials Middle East says this trend is pushing brands to create experiences that connect physical retail locations, mobile platforms and media channels.
“Think about a family spending the afternoon at Dubai Mall or Yas Mall. If they see an offer on social in the morning, expect to find it easily in-store, and then later receive a follow-up reminder on their phone that actually reflects what they bought, that leaves a lasting impression. The price matters, but so does the feeling that the brand has paid attention. That is the connected experience that grows brands and baskets at the same time,” Soni added.
The agency operates from Dubai and focuses on conversion-led retail activation. The team analyses consumer shopping behaviour to build experiences designed to convert browsers into buyers.
“Most reports still obsess over total traffic and headline sales. The questions we are asking clients in the region are different. Did this period bring in new shoppers who will come back. Did it protect price integrity. Did it avoid a flood of returns and customer service issues in December. Those are the indicators of a stronger shopper experience, not sales goals in isolation,” Jamie Matthews, Co-Founder and Chief Executive of Initials explained.
Connected retail experiences replace price-cut focus
The agency is working with brands across the UAE, Saudi Arabia and the wider GCC to design programmes based on regional shopping behaviour.
The objective is to ensure Black Friday and year-end promotions support brand positioning rather than encourage consumers to wait for discounts.
Initials Middle East argues that consistency across in-store, social media and e-commerce channels has become more valuable to UAE consumers than percentage discounts alone.
The agency notes that brands must now consider social media, physical retail and online platforms as connected elements of a single customer journey rather than separate marketing channels.
The November 2024 surge in e-commerce orders demonstrates the significance of the Black Friday period for retailers in the region, with the agency positioning the event as an opportunity to test operational systems and customer experience design.
