Customer demand for fast delivery of products is one of the biggest challenges facing companies today, according to retail group leaders.
Speaking at the Future Investment Initiative Forum in Riyadh, heads of major firms set out how pandemic-caused changes in shopping behavior, together with developments in technology, has shifted expectations from consumers.
Yusuf Ali, chairman of Abu Dhabi-based Lulu Group International, told delegates that e-commerce was not growing in the Gulf region before Covid-19 swept the globe, but now the picture is different and his company “will increase e-commerce platforms”.
John Hadden, CEO of Alshaya Group, headquartered in Kuwait, highlighted food and beverage deliveries as an area changed by the pandemic.
“The new challenge is how to get the right products to the consumers as quickly as possible,” he said.
The head of online marketplace Noon.com warned that customers now expect small grocery deliveries within 20 minutes, adding: “Buyers’ desire to get orders quickly is increasing and this is the challenge for companies.”