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Doha, Qatar: PwC Middle East's Voice of the Consumer 2024 survey explores the evolving landscape of consumer preferences in Qatar, drawing insights from 303 respondents aged primarily between 18 and 44. Trust, sustainability, and digital innovation emerge as core themes, with a strong consumer preference for digital tools like mobile payments and virtual reality.
Kamal Fayed, Qatar Deals Lead at PwC Middle East, looks at key themes within consumer trends in Qatar as follows:
Trust in industries
In Qatar, airlines and energy companies have emerged as the most trusted sectors, both scoring 7.99 on a 10-point scale. By contrast, social media companies rank relatively lower in consumer trust, with a score of 7.29, highlighting the gap in consumer confidence. Deep diving into consumer trust in Qatar, 76% of consumers ranked ethical treatment of employees and good quality products as the most important factors.
Health risks and inflation remain key concerns
Health risks and inflation remain the top concerns for consumers in Qatar, with 47% identifying inflation as the biggest concern and 44% focused on health risks. Regionally, inflation is also a top concern, with 56% of consumers citing it as the most significant threat, followed by climate change at 43%.
Consumers embrace sustainability
From green purchases to tech-driven solutions: In Qatar, 57% of consumers report buying more sustainable products, 41% are making considered purchases, and 52% support green policies. Notably, 31% of Qataris are willing to pay 11%-20% above average prices for products with lower carbon footprints, compared to 21% regionally and 16% globally. Also, over 30% of consumers favour brands that utilise renewable energy, eco-friendly packaging, and waste reduction and recycling.
Consumers trust AI for low-risk tasks
Nearly 60% of consumers in Qatar are willing to trust AI for low-risk activities, such as collecting information on a product, drafting reviews, written communication support, and customer service. Conversely, respondents in Qatar were least likely to trust AI for high-risk activities, such as medical diagnosis (46%), executing financial transactions on their behalf (39%) or giving legal advice (32%).
Chatbots gaining traction Chatbots and digital assistance are gaining traction among consumers in Qatar, with 48% valuing them for providing fluent and detailed guidance, as well as offering quick connections to human service agents (47%).
Data privacy and security concerns remain critical
Data privacy and security remain critical concerns for consumers in Qatar, with over 75% of consumers surveyed indicating the importance of knowing that their devices are safeguarding their information.
In-store shopping a top choice
In-store shopping remains the top choice for consumers in Qatar (54%). However, online shopping via mobile phones is also gaining popularity (43%). Virtual Reality (VR) is also gaining traction in Qatar, with 14% of survey participants frequently using VR for shopping needs, compared to 9% globally. Looking ahead, Qatar consumers expect to increase spending on groceries (60%), travel (55%), and health and beauty products (53%) over the next six months.
Health and nutrition drive food choices in Qatar
Survey data indicates that consumers in Qatar are increasingly mindful of their dietary choices. Over half (55%) of respondents consider their general health when selecting food, while 46% pay attention to nutritional information.
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