As the UAE gears up for Lunar New Year celebrations, the event signifies more than cultural festivities—it’s a powerful driver of e-commerce, retail, and digital payments in the region. With China and the UAE targeting $200 billion in bilateral trade by 2030, the significance of such celebrations transcends tradition, reinforcing economic and cultural bonds.

A Time of Joy and Commerce

This year’s Lunar New Year UAE e-commerce trends showcase the growing vitality of the UAE-China relationship. From dazzling performances to parades of new energy vehicles, the “Happy Chinese New Year” festivities highlight a shared commitment to cultural exchange. With 2023 marking the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and the UAE, the deep ties between the two nations continue to flourish.

In Dubai, Lunar New Year shopping promotions offer discounts of up to 90% across major malls, enticing residents and tourists alike. Family-friendly events, cultural concerts, and raffles with incredible prizes—ranging from luxury cars like the BMW 8 Series to high-end watches—make this season truly unforgettable. Such activities not only foster cultural exchange but also create a thriving retail environment that directly benefits e-commerce platforms and payment service providers.

Image credits: The National, UAE

E-Commerce: Empowering the Festive Rush

The Lunar New Year season typically witnesses a surge in consumer spending, particularly on gifts, dining, and travel. Merchants leverage the celebrations to launch exclusive deals, aligning with festive payment solutions UAE trends while ensuring seamless transactions for both local and cross-border shoppers. Payment platforms offering quick links, secure gateways, and multiple currency options empower businesses to maximize their share of this seasonal economic boom.

Additionally, the trend of shifting towards online shopping habits continues to grow during such events, driven by the UAE’s tech-savvy population and the convenience of digital payment solutions. Merchants who integrate advanced payment options like Union Pay, Apple Pay, and buy-now-pay-later (BNPL) gain a significant edge in capturing consumer interest.

 A Catalyst for Tourism and Retail

Chinese tourism growth in UAE has seen remarkable progress, showcasing the vigor of cultural exchanges between the two nations. Visitors from Beijing, Shanghai, and Shandong contribute to the local economy by exploring Dubai’s iconic attractions and indulging in the festive spirit. Emirati travellers, in turn, are encouraged to visit China, fostering mutual tourism growth.

Dubai’s Global Village, China Town, Dubai Mall, Dragon Mart, and Jumeirah Burj Al Arab have curated exclusive Lunar New Year experiences, offering something for everyone—from cultural performances to culinary delights. Hotels and restaurants across the UAE are also joining the celebrations, with limited-time stay packages and dining offers adding to the festive appeal.

 The Role of Digital Payments in Seasonal Success

For merchants, the ability to handle high transaction volumes during festive periods is critical. Digital payment solutions empower businesses with secure, scalable, and localized payment methods, ensuring a smooth shopping experience. The integration of digital wallets, QR codes, and real-time payment options makes it easier for consumers to shop online, enhancing satisfaction and loyalty.

The growing trend of offering cashless raffle entries, mobile app-exclusive deals, and contactless payments aligns perfectly with the UAE’s push towards a cashless economy. By enabling seamless payments, merchants can not only cater to existing customers but also attract new ones during the high-demand season and elevate their online sales.

 Looking Ahead

The Lunar New Year is more than a celebration; it’s a powerful economic driver that strengthens the UAE’s retail, tourism, and e-commerce sectors. It reinforces the country’s position as a global hub for cultural and economic exchange while showcasing the importance of advanced payment solutions in today’s digital-first world.

As we celebrate the Lunar New Year, let’s recognize its broader impact: fostering cultural connections, driving economic growth, and creating endless opportunities for businesses in the UAE. From festive payment gateway trends Dubai to cross-border shopping trends UAE, this season is a testament to the UAE’s dynamic and inclusive economy.

November is an exciting time for both shoppers and merchants in the UAE. Usually after the U.S. celebrates Thanksgiving, White Friday comes knocking on Middle East’s doors. It’s a time for consumers to enjoy retail therapy at humungous discounts and for merchants to witness record sales and a sharp spike in revenue. So, if you are looking for White Friday marketing ideas to stay ahead of the competition, attract way more than usual traffic, and send the conversion rate shooting through the roof, keep this guide handy. Whether you sell clothes, electronics, furniture, cosmetics, or healthcare products, the tips shared here will help for sure.

9 White Friday Marketing Ideas to Rock Sales in the UAE

By 2029, the ecommerce market in the UAE is expected to clock revenue of USD 10.56 billion after growing at a rate of 8.63% annually. Hence, you need to focus on simple but effective digital marketing strategies. Give these a shot:

1. Offer Hot Discounts and Deals: It goes without saying that one of the key White Friday marketing ideas is to offer massive discounts on the best-selling products at your store. Make sure customers can easily spot the difference the discounts make to the original prices. Free shipping, free gifts, gift vouchers, and buy-one-get-one deals can also bring in more traffic and drive conversions. You can nudge shoppers to spend more by offering a tiered discount system too. Basically, the more they spend, the more they will save.
2. Optimize for Mobile Devices: Smartphone penetration in the UAE is more than 96%, while internet penetration stands at 99%. Hence, most people tend to shop for what they need via their mobile devices and on the go. So, ensure your website or e-store loads fast and is responsive, intuitive, and easy to navigate. Avoid using too much text and instead focus on rich visuals.
3. Create a Special Landing Page: First create a smart banner on your site with direct but attractive messaging that reflects the specialty of White Friday. Then link it to a landing page created specifically for products that are available at slashed prices or with cool offers. Put in a countdown timer to spark the feeling of urgency and boost sales.
4. Make Emails Personal: One of the best White Friday marketing ideas is to lend emails a personal touch. Analyze past customer data on products ordered, order volumes, order frequency, payment modes, time spent on website, etc. to craft such emails. Include discount codes or links to category or product pages inside and make sure the subject line is catchy and crisp. It will improve the chances of recipients actually opening such emails.
5. Utilize the Power of Social Media: Promote discounted products and other offers on social media platforms, so that those who follow you become more likely to make a purchase decision. Go easy on text and leverage high-quality videos and images instead. Allow followers to buy directly from your business page on social platforms without visiting the website. This will ease checkout for them and improve the conversion rate. Host fun contests and offer lucrative prizes like gift vouchers, free gifts, or even cash. If possible, partner with influencers and get them to market your products so that customers can easily trust your business.
6. Make Payment Hassle-Free: Among White Friday marketing ideas, this one might not be obvious, but it is super important. Join hands with a white label payment gateway provider like PayTabs to ensure all transactions are safe, quick, and efficient. Offer customers the flexibility to choose from multiple modes of payment and acquire the ability to accept local currencies from different countries around the globe. This will augment your customer base and position your brand as a progressive one.
7. Support Customers Promptly: Shoppers might have questions about the deals you are offering, products, shipping process, or the delivery timeline. No matter what it is, tackle them at the earliest to improve customer satisfaction. Help them to get in touch with you via phone call, live chat, email, text messaging, etc.
8. Manage Orders Intelligently: Leverage tools backed by Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, and advanced analytics to manage inventory and track orders from start to finish. Making sure that all orders reach customers on time and in perfect shape can boost your brand image and attract more business.
9. Extend Sale Period: One of the simple yet highly-likely-to-succeed White Friday marketing ideas is to keep offering discounts and deals for at least a few days after the event is officially over. This can help you beat competition to a large extent and keep selling more for a longer span of time.

Make the Most of White Friday 2024 in the UAE

 The above White Friday marketing ideas can help you thrive in a highly busy and competitive landscape, irrespective of the size or nature of your business. From ensuring mobile optimization and crafting incredible deals to capitalizing on social media and setting up an efficient payment ecosystem with PayTabs, there is so much you can do to enhance sales.

As a top-rung payments infrastructure company in MENA, PayTabs aims to power digital transactions with unique payment solutions. Our key intent is to drive financial inclusion and local commerce with safe, no-fuss, and scalable payments solutions.

As a business owner in Jordan, you must be excitedly looking forward to White Friday 2024. Usually a four-day event, it starts from the fourth Thursday in the month of November, right after Thanksgiving in the USA. Consumer demand skyrockets during this shopping holiday, which means you have the perfect opportunity to boost sales and rake in more moolah. While it goes without saying that you have to leverage your website and other digital strategies to stay competitive around this time, knowing exactly what measures to take can help you plan better. So, let’s find out how you can maximize sales during White Friday.

8 Tactics to Increase Sales during White Friday 2024

Whether you sell home furnishings, electronics, fashion accessories, cosmetics, or baby products, getting your online game right is crucial during White Friday. After all, by 2028, Jordan’s ecommerce revenue is likely to hit USD 344.5 million after growing at a 8.3% rate. Here’s what you can do:

1. Get Creative with Your Website Banner: Create an attractive banner especially for White Friday and ensure the messaging is smart and direct. Then link it to a separate landing page that highlights products discounted specifically for White Friday. This will ease navigation and help customers zero in on deals and offers quickly. You can also put in a countdown timer that infuses a sense of urgency in shoppers and drives up sales.
2. Optimize Site for Mobile Devices: Most people are likely to use their smartphones and tablets for shopping during White Friday 2024. That is because the number of mobile connections in the country is equal to around 80% of its population. And internet penetration was pegged at 91% last year. So, make sure your site is light in text but heavy in high-quality visuals and loads fast. It should be intuitive and all the elements must be responsive.
3. Offer Hot Deals: Make a list of best-selling products and offer large discounts to attract more website traffic and drive conversions. You can also offer buy-one-get-one deals, freebies, gift vouchers with certain purchases, and free shipping. Make sure to display such details clearly on your site so that potential shoppers know how much they are saving and feel excited enough to go through with the purchase. A tiered discount system, where customers get a bigger off when they order more, can work wonders too.
4. Send Personalized Emails: To get potential shoppers excited about White Friday 2024, craft personalized emails based on how they usually interact with your website, their order frequency and volume, the types of products they buy, etc. Such emails are more likely to be opened especially if the subject line clearly mentions the deals and discounts you are offering. Include a strong call-to-action that takes the recipient to the shopping page. You can even insert discount codes and links to specific products.
5. Capitalize on Social Media: Promote discounted products and attractive deals on social media platforms to spark interest and purchase intent in followers. Allow them to shop directly from your business page without having to visit the website first. Host contests and polls and announce cool prizes for winners. Partner with social media influencers so they can market your products through rich images or engaging videos. It’s a smart way to earn the trust of customers and augment conversions.
6. Manage Orders Efficiently: Even though White Friday 2024 is likely to be a super busy time, make sure you manage orders accurately, efficiently, and punctually. Use software solutions to manage inventory and track orders from the time a customer places a request to the moment it is delivered. Shipping and delivering orders on time can boost customer satisfaction and attract repeat purchases. Take precautions so that all orders reach safely.
7. Provide Customer Support: Make sure customers can reach you via multiple channels, like email, text messaging, live chat, phone call, etc. Whether they have questions about the products, quality, deals, shipping process, delivery timeline, or anything else, you should cater to their queries promptly. Smooth, seamless communication and timely resolution of problems can increase customer satisfaction and sales.
8. Simplify the Payment Process: Your payment ecosystem must be in shipshape during White Friday 2024. And by partnering with PayTabs, you can ensure that all transactions are fast, secure, and efficient. You can not only protect sensitive customer data against frauds, but also offer shoppers multiple methods of e-commerce payments and accept a variety of currencies from around the world. This means more flexibility and fuss-free checkout for customers and a bigger base for potential sales for you.

White Friday 2024: Make the Most of This Shopping Season

 So, what are you waiting for? Get started by making your website or e-store mobile-friendly and more aligned with White Friday 2024. Offer irresistible deals, personalize emails, leverage social media platforms, manage orders with tech tools, provide prompt customer service, and ease the payments system by getting in touch with PayTabs. You are bound to see more traffic, engagement, and conversions this way.

As a well-known payments infrastructure company in MENA, PayTabs hopes to power all digital transactions with innovative payment solutions. Our objective is to facilitate and drive financial inclusion and local commerce with safe, simple, and scalable payment solutions.

With 18^th November right around the corner, Oman is happily gearing up for National Day celebrations. Apart from impressive parades, festive decorations, and cultural events, the country sees a sharp rise in shopping during this time. And that brings us to the gradually increasing popularity of ecommerce and the factors paving the way for a brighter future. So, as a business owner, on Oman National Day, don’t just focus on ways to sell and earn more this year. Find out about important trends, patterns, and discover the possibilities that await you in the coming years.

Oman National Day 2024: Ecommerce is All Set to Boom

Oman’s ecommerce market is poised to hit USD 1.1 billion by 2028 after growing at a promising 13.5% rate. The recent COVID crisis especially triggered the acceleration in digitalization and most businesses went online to cater to customers and thrive. Technological advancements and evolving customer preferences are playing a crucial role in the growth of ecommerce currently. In fact, in 2022, the country had over 5 million active users of internet, close to 6 million mobile connections, and 4.39 million users of social media.

So, with Oman’s 54^th National Day coming up, let’s delve into the vital numbers and trends that will define the future of ecommerce here.

• Government Initiative: Most government services require customers to make payments online now. It is also possible to shop from ecommerce stores and make donations online securely. Oman’s e-Government initiative is responsible for this paradigm shift. Launched in 2020, the national ecommerce plan is focused on enhancing national skills, logistics services, and facilitating a positive environment for the growth of ecommerce.
• Significant Youth Population: Around 60% of Oman’s population is under 29 years, which means young people constitute a key part of the nation. They are more tech-savvy than their predecessors and comfortable about shopping via digital platforms.
• Increasing Smartphone Usage: By 2029, Oman’s smartphone market volume is expected to grow to 3 million pieces. Moreover, it has been observed that 95% of internet users access the internet via smartphones. Mobile commerce is also gaining prominence, with top payment gateway providers enabling transactions through cards, digital wallets, apps, payment links, and QR codes. This bodes well for the future as Omanis will increasingly want to enjoy the convenience of shopping via smart mobile devices rather than stepping out to visit a physical store.
• Domestic Scene: Consumers in Oman go online to mainly shop for beauty products, clothes, appliances, flight tickets, and hotel reservations. More and more people are shopping for groceries virtually too. And since most Omanis are likely to dress up, enjoy holidays, and buy ingredients to whip you delectable dishes around Oman National Day, you will see increased sales in all these categories.
• Cross-Border Scene: Besides cosmetics, apparels, and hotel and airlines services, Omanis shop for machines, furnishings, and construction materials from other countries, especially China. They tend to source vehicle spare parts from ecommerce stores in the USA too.
• Online Payment: In 2022, a report from Central Bank of Oman indicated that the volume of e-payments shot up by 40%. And this trend is likely to continue with Oman payment gateway providers like PayTabs making it fast, easy, and safe for merchants to accept payments through multiple modes and in different currencies. Customers also love the flexibility. Hence, on National Day in Oman in 2024 and beyond, you will find more and more people (busy and in a hurry) going online for a smooth, cashless checkout.
• Social Commerce: Many entrepreneurs and SMEs in the country are increasingly marketing and selling their products via social media platforms nowadays. And this trend will not only gain steam on Oman National Day 2024, but also in the future, as payment infrastructure companies like PayTabs offer smart solutions to set up shops, list products, sell through social channels, and get paid instantly.
• Cutting-Edge Technology: Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and advanced analytics tools are increasingly gaining favor among Omani businesses as they help automate processes, streamline operations, study customer behavior and transactions, identify gaps, and offer actionable insights on how to improve the ecommerce shopping experience. So, by leveraging technology, online merchants can attract more traffic, boost customer engagement, and drive more conversions in the future.

Prepare for an Exciting Future in Ecommerce on Oman National Day

 So, on National Day in Oman in 2024, prepare to grow your ecommerce business like never before. Though many Omanis still prefer to try out products physically before buying them and have security concerns, change is on the cards. Government support, urbanization, increasing penetration of internet and smartphones, a growing youth population, technological innovations, and efficient online payment solutions are driving the growth of ecommerce in the country. The fact that people have more disposable income these days and lead busy lives will likely lead to a surge in Oman’s ecommerce too.

So, join hands with PayTabs and get started. As a leading payments infrastructure company in MENA, we intend to power all digital transactions with avant-garde solutions. Our secure, simple, and scalable solutions are designed to drive financial inclusion and local commerce.