The Middle East's e-commerce sector, which is growing at the fastest pace globally with online sales expected to double to $48.8 billion (Dh179.3bn) by 2021, is to expand thanks to a rise in grocery spending.
This expenditure offers a new segment of expansion for e-commerce players, as shoppers' demand for convenience prompts the growth of other consumer sectors and delivery services, according to a report by Fitch Solutions Macro Research, a unit of Fitch Group.
The UAE will be one of the leading players, with e-commerce spending in the country increasing 170 per cent to $27.1bn in 2022, from $9.7bn in 2017.
"Rising incomes will support consumer demand for higher quality food as they move up the price point to purchase more premium food varieties as well as organic food, which tend to be priced higher," said the report.
Consumers are likely to pay for convenience services related to their food purchases, which “includes being receptive to convenience store formats, meal deliveries and online grocery delivery.”
With many young and affluent customers, deep internet penetration and advanced networks for logistics, the Middle East’s e-commerce sector is growing faster than anywhere else in the world.
As of March this year, internet penetration in the region was 64.5 per cent, higher than the global average of 54.5 per cent, according to data by Statista.
Mergers and acquisitions in the sector have also picked up pace in the past year after Amazon acquired Souq.com for $650m in 2017.
Noon.com, the $1 billion joint venture between UAE businessman Mohamed Alabbar and Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, signed an agreement with eBay in June that will enable its customers to purchase products listed online in the United States and other
countries.
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This Noon initiative is similar to those by other global e-commerce companies such as Amazon, which acquired Whole Foods in June last year for $13.7bn, and Alibaba, which launched its own grocery platform Hema in 2016.
“Noon.com’s expansion into the grocery sector aims to target one of the highest consumer spending segments in the UAE. This expansion into grocery helps to target a different consumer base and appeal to consumer’s needs throughout the day,” said the Fitch report.
But Noon is relatively late to the game in the region. Its competitor e-commerce platforms and grocery majors have been rolling out their online grocery delivery services in recent years.
“Noon.com’s biggest competitor Souq.com has been offering online grocery delivery since 2016, under the brand name of Souq Superstore. While Carrefour, which operates in the Middle East under a franchise partnership with Majid Al Futtaim, already offers online grocery delivery services,” said the Fitch report.
Another dominant grocery player, the Lulu Group, has citywide storage locations and transportation to make door-to-door deliveries. The company will also be strengthening its omnichannel strategy on this front by expanding into pick-up services.
Spinneys, which plans to open 18 more stores in the UAE by 2020, is also looking to launch an online platform in the coming years.
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A list of the animal rescue organisations in the UAE
Eyasses squad
Charlie Preston (captain) – goal shooter/ goalkeeper (Dubai College)
Arushi Holt (vice-captain) – wing defence / centre (Jumeriah English Speaking School)
Olivia Petricola (vice-captain) – centre / wing attack (Dubai English Speaking College)
Isabel Affley – goalkeeper / goal defence (Dubai English Speaking College)
Jemma Eley – goal attack / wing attack (Dubai College)
Alana Farrell-Morton – centre / wing / defence / wing attack (Nord Anglia International School)
Molly Fuller – goal attack / wing attack (Dubai College)
Caitlin Gowdy – goal defence / wing defence (Dubai English Speaking College)
Noorulain Hussain – goal defence / wing defence (Dubai College)
Zahra Hussain-Gillani – goal defence / goalkeeper (British School Al Khubairat)
Claire Janssen – goal shooter / goal attack (Jumeriah English Speaking School)
Eliza Petricola – wing attack / centre (Dubai English Speaking College)
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India Test squad
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1. Rafael Nadal (ESP) 9,585 pts ( 1)
2. Novak Djokovic (SRB) 8,945 (-1)
3. Roger Federer (SUI) 6,190
4. Daniil Medvedev (RUS) 5,705
5. Dominic Thiem (AUT) 5,025
6. Stefanos Tsitsipas (GRE) 4,000 ( 1)
7. Alexander Zverev (GER) 2,945 (-1)
8. Matteo Berrettini (ITA) 2,670 ( 1)
9. Roberto Bautista (ESP) 2,540 ( 1)
10. Gaël Monfils (FRA) 2,530 ( 3)
11. David Goffin (BEL) 2,335 ( 3)
12. Fabio Fognini (ITA) 2,290
13. Kei Nishikori (JPN) 2,180 (-2)
14. Diego Schwartzman (ARG) 2,125 ( 1)
15. Denis Shapovalov (CAN) 2,050 ( 13)
16. Stan Wawrinka (SUI) 2,000
17. Karen Khachanov (RUS) 1,840 (-9)
18. Alex De Minaur (AUS) 1,775
19. John Isner (USA) 1,770 (-2)
20. Grigor Dimitrov (BUL) 1,747 ( 7)
Gender equality in the workplace still 200 years away
It will take centuries to achieve gender parity in workplaces around the globe, according to a December report from the World Economic Forum.
The WEF study said there had been some improvements in wage equality in 2018 compared to 2017, when the global gender gap widened for the first time in a decade.
But it warned that these were offset by declining representation of women in politics, coupled with greater inequality in their access to health and education.
At current rates, the global gender gap across a range of areas will not close for another 108 years, while it is expected to take 202 years to close the workplace gap, WEF found.
The Geneva-based organisation's annual report tracked disparities between the sexes in 149 countries across four areas: education, health, economic opportunity and political empowerment.
After years of advances in education, health and political representation, women registered setbacks in all three areas this year, WEF said.
Only in the area of economic opportunity did the gender gap narrow somewhat, although there is not much to celebrate, with the global wage gap narrowing to nearly 51 per cent.
And the number of women in leadership roles has risen to 34 per cent globally, WEF said.
At the same time, the report showed there are now proportionately fewer women than men participating in the workforce, suggesting that automation is having a disproportionate impact on jobs traditionally performed by women.
And women are significantly under-represented in growing areas of employment that require science, technology, engineering and mathematics skills, WEF said.
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