The Gitex Shopper 2014, a leading bi-annual consumer IT and electronics show in the Middle East, generated an estimated Dh259 million ($70.5 million) in sales.

The participating retailers and world brands delivered the latest tech products to the market, and welcomed more than 211,000 visitors, during the  eight-day event at the Dubai World Trade Centre, said a statement.

Trixie LohMirmand, senior vice president, DWTC, said: “Gitex Shopper has always enjoyed a wonderful festival atmosphere and this year proved unbeatable as a destination, particularly during Eid.

“Not only were visitors able to shop for the latest products being launched globally and benefit from unrivalled deals in every single product category, they could also celebrate with a wide variety of fun family entertainment, and participate in an untold number of promotions and competitions. The combination has proved to be spectacularly successful for our exhibitors.”

Gitex Shopper is considered a key shop window for consumer tech retailers and brands, contributing a significant percentage of annual sales revenues and exceptional touch points for brand building in a savvy consumer market, said the statement.

Neelesh Bhatnagar, chief executive officer of Emax, said: “This autumn’s show was just amazing for Emax with our sales soaring by 40 per cent compared to last October’s edition. All categories performed extremely well with laptops, smartphones and UHD panels taking the lead during the show.”

Nadeem Khanzadah, head - OmniChannel Retail, Jumbo Electronics, said: “As with previous editions, Jumbo’s participation at Gitex Shopper has been highly successful.  There were no surprises in terms of the best-selling category - smartphones; we registered a 58 per cent increase in smartphone sales with mid-range models attracting the majority of sales.

“An interesting outcome was the increase in laptop sales following flat demand in the category over the last couple of years. We also saw strong demand for TVs, which were especially attractive given the valuable add-ons we offered in bundled deals. Overall, Jumbo saw increased sales volumes of close to 20 per cent for Gitex Shopper 2014.”

Mahesh Chotrani, assistant vice president of leading multi-brand consumer electronics retailer Jacky’s Electronics, said: “We witnessed growth of over 16 per cent in sales compared to last year. With the change in our strategic approach for Gitex Shopper and our new convenient ‘open-design’ stand, customer footfall exceeded our expectation.”

With new launches in almost every product segment, shoppers at this year’s show could enjoy unrivalled convenience under one roof, a key element highlighted by top brands, said the statement.

Marco Vocale, head of Corporate Marketing at Samsung Gulf Electronics, said: "It has been another successful year for Samsung at Gitex Shopper and we were delighted with the response to our latest products such as the Note 4, Gear Circle and S5. The success of these products saw our sales double from last year which represents significant success. We look forward to showcasing our new product innovations and meeting consumers from around the region again at next year’s show."

Kenneth Chen, country product manager - Notebooks, Asus Middle East said: “Gitex Shopper is the only venue where you get to see a diverse selection of consumer electronics under one roof for all price ranges. We are delighted to report 45 per cent growth in notebooks compared to last year’s Gitex Shopper, and we showcased our Zenwatch for the first time in the region.”  

In addition to great deals on more than 30,000 products, Gitex Shopper offered brands the opportunity to interact with their customers, offer advice and additional value through their expertise, said the statement.

Nikon’s WiFi station, which demonstrated the WiFi capabilities of Nikon DSLR cameras, had over 10,000 visitors queuing at its photo booth to have their photos taken and shared online, it said.

Narendra Menon, regional head - Sales and Marketing, Nikon Middle East and Africa, said: “We are overwhelmed with the response to our Nikon School sessions, particularly from the youth. We had full houses at most sessions, with students from over 15 schools across the UAE attending to learn more about DSLR photography.

“Our goal at Nikon is to develop a love for photography in the region, and we believe the best way of doing that is to cultivate the talent and passion particularly among the youth. Initiatives such as the Nikon School at Gitex Shopper provide the perfect foundation, and we are glad it has been received so positively.” - TradeArabia News Service