spending at least 21 hours a week or more than six weeks a year online A new study released by Visa, one of the world’s leading payment solutions providers, has unveiled the UAE’s habits and attitudes towards e-commerce and revealed that people are using the internet more than ever, with nearly half (44 per cent) admitting to spending at least 21 hours a week or more than six weeks a year online.
The research forms part of Visa’s ongoing commitment towards the e-commerce sector, which is benefitting from Visa’s innovative work to make online payments even more secure, something which is front of mind for many people when it comes to shopping online.  
With more and more people venturing onto the web and regular users spending increased periods of time online, the penetration of online shopping has seen a significant increase in recent years, with two in five people in the UAE (40 per cent) saying they now use the internet regularly for information and purchasing rather than just general browsing.
Indeed, the UAE continues to show considerable enthusiasm for even more frequent online shopping especially among 25-34 year olds, with over half (57 per cent) saying they like to shop online often and expect to so even more in future.
Maysara Ghadban Traboulsi, Head of Marketing Communications Middle East for Visa, said: “This research provides a really valuable insight into what is driving the regional boom in e-commerce and shows a tangible shift in attitudes towards purchasing online.
The depth of usage demonstrated in this study illustrates how e-commerce has become an engine for retail growth, with consumers embracing online shopping not only for its ease and convenience, but as a primary means of researching goods and services, and there is huge potential for further growth in the future.”The research showed that most people prefer to use overseas websites, with those based in the UK, North America and Asia proving the most popular (39, 38 and 30 per cent respectively) among online shoppers, particularly expatriates.
While this is most likely due to an individual’s personal affinity with brands from their home-country, one in seven have experienced problems with locally-based websites which has impacted on their willingness to use them in future, These issues included a lack of helpful information (19 per cent), issues with password registration (18 per cent) and the site not appearing secure (17 per cent).Maysara Ghadbana Traboulsi added: “It’s interesting to hear the concerns people have when it comes to spending online and, while they are not exactly surprising, it’s also fair to say that there has been much improvement recently. Visa is committed to helping local merchants offer secure and efficient payment processes and we’re delighted to have been able to work with sites such as Souq.com and group buying site GoNabit to offer shoppers an improved user experience and increased peace of mind.
“Visa also works closely with its banking partners across the region to improve understanding about Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) compliance, as well as working together with them to educate cardholders on online security and password usage.”
The research highlights a clear need for online security measures, with over two thirds of people admitting they are concerned about their card details falling into the wrong hands, while a further 62 per cent want increased online security.Maysara Ghadbana Traboulsi added: “The issue of cardholder security is something that Visa keeps top of mind, continually investing and developing new technologies to help keep transaction information secure. Our robust security system, Verified by Visa, offers unprecedented security by authenticating the cardholder’s identity before the transaction is processed, enabling them to shop online with the confidence that comes with purchasing with the most trusted name in payment security.”Research was carried out in August 2010 with 544 people in the UAE, Participants were 18-45 year old men and women, in full-time employment or education who have a payment card and use the internet 3+ times a week for purposes other than work.
Visa is a global payments technology company that connects consumers, businesses, financial institutions and governments in more than 200 countries and territories to fast, secure and reliable digital currency.Underpinning digital currency is one of the world’s most advanced processing networks-VisaNet-that is capable of handling more than 10,000 transactions a second, with fraud protection for consumers and guaranteed payment for merchants. Visa is not a bank, and does not issue cards, extend credit or set rates and fees for consumers.
From / Gulf Today