Online purchase in Pakistan: Facebook remains focal point for clothing, food in Ramazan
Karachi: People tend to focus on purchasing food, clothing and household items through Facebook and its other social media platforms during Ramazan, a survey revealed.
Facebook commissioned Kantar to conduct an online quantitative research study in Indonesia, Turkey, USA, UAE, Egypt, Pakistan, UK, France and Nigeria to understand how people observe Ramazan and how their daily routines change during the holy month. The research was conducted in April 2019 and included 954 respondents from Pakistan.
Majority of Pakistani respondents (99 percent) agreed that Ramazan is more important compared to other occasions with 94 percent of Pakistani parents saying it is important to share traditions with their children. Eighty percent of respondents agreed that they experience a stronger sense of community during Ramazan.
Along with the focus on spirituality, the survey shows that Ramazan also has an important social side, 61 percent of respondents agree that it is a time to spend quality time with family and friends. This is also reflected in the way that Pakistanis use social media during Ramazan.
Eighty-five percent of surveyed Pakistanis said they use the Facebook family Apps during Ramazan, with WhatsApp emerging as the most used service with 73 percent of respondents using it during Ramazan. Connecting with friends and family is one of the top reasons for accessing Facebook services during Ramazan, along with discovering spiritual content – from participating in prayer groups on WhatsApp to sharing religious quotes and sermons on Messenger.
Sixty-one percent of respondents agree that Ramazan is a time for good food, 37 percent say it is the best time to find good deals and 37 percent agreed that they like dressing up for the occasion.
“The holy month of Ramazan signifies new beginnings and is the biggest occasion of the year to shop for everything from clothes to makeup, and platforms like Facebook and WhatsApp have become key tools of marketing for us today.” said Umar Qamar, founder of Pakistan based fashion house Export Leftovers (elo).
During the holy month of Ramazan and in the run up to the celebrations for Eidul Fitr, people in Pakistan are adopting new technology to observe timeless traditions in modern ways.
Results of the survey show that 57 percent of Pakistani respondents who also own a mobile phone agree with the statement: “Mobile phones help me to follow Islamic laws and practices during Ramazan.”
Almost three quarter of respondents (71 percent) agreed that mobiles helped them stay more closely in touch with friends and family during the holy month. Being connected is important, most respondents agree (68 percent), as it helps them know more about what is happening during Ramazan.
“The key takeaway is that Ramazan is a time of great spiritual importance and community and that technology is increasingly integrated into rituals for the holy month. It also has an important social side and brands have an opportunity to forge meaningful connections with their audiences at this time through inspiring and relevant content,” said Ali Khurshid Ahmed, Client Partner-South Asia, Facebook.
A quarter of respondents said they spend the same or more time than usual researching what to buy during Ramazan. Of those who plan Ramazan purchases in advance, 34 percent of respondents said they use Facebook and Instagram for research on clothing and fashion and 30 percent of respondents who plan in advance said they use Facebook and Instagram to research household appliances.
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