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Retailers go into Gitex Shopper event with best foot forward [Gulf News (United Arab Emirates)]
[April 22, 2014]

Retailers go into Gitex Shopper event with best foot forward [Gulf News (United Arab Emirates)]


(Gulf News (United Arab Emirates) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Dubai: Tech-savvy shoppers are gearing up for a four-day extravaganza of buzz, bargains and high energy when the second Gitex Shopper Spring edition 2014 opens doors from April 23-26 at the Dubai World Trade Centre.



Some of the key retailers like E-City, Emax, Jacky's Electronics, Jumbo Electronics, Max Electronics, One Mobile, Plug-Ins and Sharaf DG, as well as top global brands such as Acer, Dell, HP, Lenovo, LG, Nestle, Nokia, Toshiba and Samsung are spending big on promotions, price discounts and marketing to lure customers to the four-day shopping paradise.

At the same time, they don't expect the same business they usually do at the original eight-day Gitex Shopper being held in October.


This edition of Gitex Shopper will be particularly exciting for consumers and retailers, with many of the products from the international Consumer Electronics Show and the Mobile World Congress making their way into the local market.

"As always, it's a much anticipated event offering unbeatable opportunities for consumers to snap up great bargains on the latest electronic products and gadgets," Hemesh Chandavarkar, Director — Consumer Cluster, Exhibitions and Events Management, Dubai World Trade Centre, told Gulf News.

Smartphones, tablets, Full HD & UHD/4K TVs are amongst the hottest selling categories. "Smartphones and tablets continue to lead the market with a spate of recent high-profile launches from all the big brands such as Samsung, Sony, HTC and Nokia," Nadeem Khanzadah, head of retail at Jumbo Electronics, said.

While the category of smartphones typically sees the most activity, the TV industry has caught everyone's attention with curved TVs, smart TVs, UHD TVs and a combination of all those innovations dominating mindshare.

With the holiday season around the corner, cameras will also be in great demand. Brands such as Sony, Canon and Nikon continue to reign in this space.

Millions of dirhams worth in prizes will also be up for grabs with promotions, raffles and giveaways, and a Limited Edition Honda Accord to be won every day of the show.

The new Experience Zones, set up by leading brands including Lenovo, Nokia, Samsung and Toshiba, will enable visitors to test the latest products, compare performance and options, and help consumers make informed decisions before bagging a bargain.

Focus on smartphones, TVs "People will be expecting very good offers on old smartphones and Galaxy S4 prices will fall drastically. The focus will be on smartphones launched within one month in a very big way and TVs," Neelesh Bhatnagar, Chief Executive Officer of Emax Electronics, told Gulf News.

However, being part of the consumer electronics industry, he said there will be offers on cameras and tablets.

This year, Emax has earmarked around Dh6 million for the marketing budget.

"We are expecting around 20 to 25 per cent growth this year." Deepak Babani, CEO of Eros Electronics, said that there was a slight dip in March sales as people were waiting for Gitex. "Galaxy S5 is facing shortage of supply and we are getting small quantities are regular intervals. We have sold around 85,000 units in the UAE so far," he said.

Plug-Ins will be taking part for the first time and has earmarked Dh5 million for marketing and promotions.

"Smartphones and tablets are likely to lead the forefront while TVs have an opportunity for more on the premium sizes. People are interested in the technology of the TV rather than the screen size," Sean Connor, GM at Plug Ins, said.

He said that consumers can exchange their old mobile phones, smartphones, tablets or camera at our stand or at any of our stores.

"This year, we have some good technologies to give away and we focus very much on prizes. Customers can look forward to winning a 50" LED TV every hour, Dh50,000 worth of gift vouchers and guaranteed gifts," Connor said.

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