Consumers of Middle East Prefer Locally Produced Goods: There has been an emerging trend amongst consumers across the Middle East to shift from global to locally produced goods and services. A large chunk of the population that supports this are the millennials. It is the millennials now who constitute the working population and make choices about what to spend on, so a natural solution would be to appeal to the decision making crowd.
Being local does not mean you can not expand globally, but to understand the mindset and to be able to cater to their exact needs is what is important. Buying the product may be a monetary act, but the inclination of what to buy lies in the conscience and subconscious. This trend is especially applicable to the food and beverage industries, supermarkets selling groceries, and confectionery.
Approachability
Consumers often find that locally sourced are the solution to an uncompromised source for quality. Having come up after the global brands, keeping in mind what those brands haven’t been able to provide to their consumers worldwide. A local brand makes those rectifications.
Media Visibility
Attention is finally being given to local brands. It is now being inclusive in popular human interest stories really is a nudge for people. When people know the background of the locally born brand, they’re more interested in buying and supporting the venture.
Sense of Belongingness
When you’re doing business, you can’t just think about the logistics side of the work. There’s another angle to it, where interaction with the consumers pays off. In starting a business within the Middle East, you can ensure a customer loyalty base and support because now they feel one amongst the brand and know where their product is coming from.
The Question of Representation
Consumers often feel neglected in a global scenario. In contrast, when a local brand comes up, providing the same, if not better features and facilities, they feel like they’ve been taken into account and actually represented in the form of a packaged product.
The Price to Pay
It is common knowledge that globally sourced products are more expensive than the local because of the taxes and general popularity of the brand. Locally produced products have the same quality but are cheaper and hence preferred by the locals.