Our first country-level survey of consumer attitudes in Qatar launches a regular series that will track shopping behaviour in one of the Middle East’s leading economies. These findings form part of PwC’s Global Consumer Insights Pulse series, allowing retailers, investors and policymakers to compare Qatar with wider regional and worldwide trends.
In this report we uncover what is motivating consumers in Qatar. We probe into trends and behaviours adopted in the country and compare them to their Middle East and global counterparts
The survey outlined that consumers in Qatar are:
Young with the majority in their twenties and thirties
At ease with cross channel shopping, switching between in-store and online retail channels
Often more conscious of environmental and social factors than their peers in other global regions.
Consumers in Qatar also have their own local identity and take pride in supporting their country when buying domestic brands or products.
Whilst the numbers of shoppers in store is rising there has been a change in consumer behaviours as a result of the health crisis.
Consumers in Qatar are prepared to pay more for locally produced products
59% of consumers in Qatar are expected to be present at their place of work
72% expect to take an international flight and 62% are planning to go to a sporting event
Consumers in Qatar are thinking local, regional and global
Post the health crisis consumers in Qatar continue to become more confident about engaging in everyday activities, favour in-store and online retailers who provide efficient delivery; they will pay more for locally made products; and take environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues more seriously than the global consumer, when buying a brand or product.
Yet as the survey results confirm, Qatar’s consumers also have their own local identity; not least, their pride in supporting their country when buying domestic brands or products. All these perspectives – local, regional, and global – add up to a consumer market that demands close attention as Qatar cements its place in the global economy.
This Qatar report references the equivalent findings of the following PwC global and Middle East (KSA, UAE and Egypt) Consumer Insights surveys:
Of the 156 consumers questioned in Qatar 63% were male. Overwhelmingly, 89% were working and of this number 73% were in full time employment. Only 10% were over 45 years of age
Middle East consumers continue to become more confident about engaging in everyday activities that were once taken for granted – dining out, going to the gym, shopping at the local mall or just meeting up with friends. Our latest Global Consumer Insights Survey (GCIS) pulse, conducted in late 2021, shows that 53% of the region’s shoppers are optimistic about the economy, a significantly higher proportion than the global average of 37%.
As we publish the latest Middle East findings from our 2021 Global Consumer Insights Survey, it is clear that as a result of extensive vaccination programmes consumer confidence is rising across the region. In fact, 58% of Middle East consumers confirmed that they have become more optimistic about the economy. Despite this confidence, the results show that the economic and social consequences of the health crisis have impacted consumer behaviour and that those changes are here to stay. In this rapidly evolving market landscape, Middle East retailers must rethink their business models to ensure they are meeting their customers’ changed expectations and do so quickly.
Bassam Hajhamad
Qatar Country Senior Partner and Consulting Lead, PwC Qatar
Tel: +974 3369 9871
