Online shopping gains momentum in Egypt: MasterCard survey

MasterCard today released the results of its Online Shopping Behaviour study that indicates that 52 per cent of the respondents in Egypt made an online purchase during the three months prior to the study, of which 80 per cent said they were satisfied with their online shopping experience.

The Online Shopping Behavior Survey, which measures consumers’ propensity to shop online, was conducted at the end of last year and was based on interviews with 4000 respondents across eight markets in the Middle East and North Africa including Egypt.

“Egypt is a market in transition as far as online shopping is concerned. The study reveals high levels of customer satisfaction which is an optimistic indication for the future as people continue to realize the benefits of e-commerce including safety, security and convenience,” commented Aaron Oliver, Head of Emerging Payments – Middle East and Africa, MasterCard.

Omar Al Sahy, General Manager of Souq.com, Egypt said, “We are seeing positive growth in the trend toward online shopping across in Egypt and currently Souq.com sees twice as much traffic as its nearest competitor. As the number of people shopping online increases, so do their expectations of service and delivery which is something Souq.com strives to not only meet, but exceed together with our partners, including MasterCard. We currently provide customers secure payment options as well as cash on delivery, a one-year warranty on all products and free returns, all of which enhances the online shopping experience.”

According to the study, websites selling home appliances and electronic products, as well as app stores received the highest levels of traffic. Music sites and computer software downloads were also popular, followed by clothing, accessories, hotels, restaurants and food delivery sites. Souq.com was the most commonly visited website for online shopping followed by Jumia and Facebook (for virtual goods).

In terms of attitudes towards online shopping, 84 per cent of the respondents indicated that the reputation of the website as well as the price or value of the items were two of the most important factors they considered when choosing where to shop. In addition, the availability of convenient payment methods was listed as a priority for 82 per cent of the respondents.