Again to high school in UAE: Demand for devices rises; retailers provide as much as 30% low cost

With over 1,000,000 college students set to return to lecture rooms throughout the UAE on Monday, dad and mom are flocking to electronics shops to purchase laptops, tablets and equipment for the brand new educational yr.

Retailers are reporting sturdy demand, with many rolling out reductions, trade affords, and instalment plans to assist households handle the associated fee. Pradeep Meena, head of Retail for Emax, stated laptops stay essentially the most sought-after gadget amongst college students, although the proper alternative depends upon the age group.

“The hot seller or the number one product that students come and ask for is a laptop,” he stated. For college college students, he stated the highest calls for are both a MacBook Pro or a gaming gadget that may deal with excessive computing hundreds for topics resembling structure and engineering.

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“For a student who is in Grade 8 or 9, iPads and tablets are always high in demand,” he stated. He additionally famous a rising demand for noise-cancelling headphones, which assist college students give attention to research even in busy properties.

Ashish Panjabi, COO of Jacky’s Retail, reported an analogous pattern throughout his shops. “For younger school students, parents tend to prefer tablets because they are portable, easy to use and work well for learning platforms,” he stated. “For university students, laptops remain the stronger category.”

Advice for fogeys

Pradeep stated dad and mom ought to resolve how lengthy they anticipate the gadget to final earlier than making a purchase order. “Parents should first ask, are they going to invest in this product for one year? Or are they going to invest in this product for the next two to three years?” he stated.

For college college students, he stated it is crucial to not purchase an underpowered laptop computer. “We would not recommend you a laptop which is underpowered, which is slightly outdated in terms of either NPUs, GPUs and CPUs,” he stated. “We’ll recommend you something that can last you at least your four years of curriculum.”

Ashish stated that the proper gadget ought to “mirror the scholar’s age, course necessities and the way will probably be used day-after-day.” He added that more than 70 per cent of families purchasing from Jacky’s consider extended warranties and accidental damage coverage, which protect against cracked screens or liquid damage.

He also noted that customers are no longer looking at a single device in isolation. “They are considering extra in regards to the wider ecosystem and the way a laptop computer or pill will join with their smartphone, earbuds and different gadgets,” he said.

Deals and discounts across the UAE

Several retailers have launched promotions to ease the financial burden on families. Emax is offering 24-month zero per cent instalment plans and payment options such as Tabby and Tamara. Customers using certain bank cards can also get additional benefits.

Sharaf DG has rolled out exchange offers and free gifts worth up to Dh500 when shopping for laptops and tablets. Students and teachers get an extra five per cent discount.

Jumbo Electronics is running back-to-school offers until September 14, with a 10 per cent discount for students and teachers, up to Dh300, and assured gifts worth Dh600 on minimum purchases.

Meanwhile, Jacky’s is offering up to 30 per cent off on tech products, including student laptops, monitors, accessories and MacBooks.

Ashish said trade-in programmes are growing in popularity. “Trading in an older gadget can cut back the upfront value of a brand new one, which is beneficial for households shopping for a number of merchandise on the identical time,” he said.

Pradeep added that customers can exchange old devices for discounts. “In the previous three years, there has undoubtedly been a seismic shift relating to cell phones,” he said, noting that 15 to 20 per cent of customers now want to exchange old devices when buying new ones.