Gitex sees 30% more spend on promotions

Technology retailers are spending 30 per cent more on sales promotions at Gitex Shopper this year mainly due to the launch of Windows 7 and the extension of the consumer electronics show from five to eight days.

All the top retailers, including Jumbo Electronics, Jackys, Plug-ins and Sharaf DG, will have pre-loaded Windows 7 notebooks and netbooks for sale.

The additional days will help retailers boost sales, enabling them to allocate higher budgets to promotions.

Shopper will run from October 17 to October 24 at Dubai Airport Expo.

Peter Mcelwaine, CEO of Jumbo, said: "Dubai will have a five-day head start on the global launch on October 22, which is significant.

"All the retailers will definitely want to take this opportunity and push for sales. Since we are one of the largest retailers, we have increased our space by 20 per cent over last year. This also reflects our confidence in the market," he said.

"Last year at Gitex Shopper, the recession had just hit the world but in spite of that the Shopper was a success for us. This year retailers are aware of their market position and know what they want," said Mcelwaine.

JP Nambiar, Head of Retail, Jumbo, said many manufacturers chose to launch new products during Gitex.

"Sony is launching their new Vaio line, which is one of the slimmest laptops. The biggest advantage is that buyers get free multi-function printers and other companion products," he said.

Jumbo's overall spending on sales promotions in the first six months of this year increased by 15 to 20 per cent over the same period in 2008.

Jackys, which has increased its space and spending this year, is looking forward to the Windows 7 launch. The retailer has allocated an extra 30 per cent to promotions at Gitex.

"Last year we gave out three netbooks every hour but this year this will be increased to five netbooks and five mobiles phones. We also have an exclusive stand for Windows 7. The best part about Windows 7 is that it is available on netbooks, which was not the case with Vista. The battery life is supposed to last up to 10 hours."

Sharaf DG and Plug-Ins, which did not take part in last year's Shopper, have booked space, but Eros Digital has chosen not to appear.

Retailers said they are seeing a return of customer confidence.

Nambiar added: "October to December will be good as we see consumers returning to the stores. Spending will be back in full swing in a year's time."

Many retailers expect sales to increase during Shopper.

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