General shopping, including groceries, continue to be important priorities for consumers in Saudi Arabia, according to findings of the latest MasterCard survey on Consumer Purchasing Priorities - General Shopping. On average, consumers surveyed in Saudi Arabia, spend 30 percent of their monthly household income on general shopping items such as groceries. A majority (51 percent) spend 21-50 percent of their monthly income on general shopping whereas, on average, women (35 percent) tend to spend significantly more than men (28 percent). In terms of frequency, 56 percent of consumers in the Kingdom shop for groceries and other general items, at least once a week. Hypermarkets are the most visited outlets for this category of spend with 81 percent of consumers claiming to visit them. The next most popular outlets are supermarkets (80 percent) followed by standalone shops (41 percent), convenience stores/minimarts (16 percent) and open air/famers' markets (16 percent). In addition, 42 percent of consumers in Saudi Arabia said they plan to spend more on general household shopping as compared to previous months; 52 percent said they intend to spend as much as in previous months. Cash (91 percent) is the most preferred method of payment for general household shopping spend below SR187.52 ($50) in value. However, for spend between SR187.52-375.04 ($50-100), in addition to cash (59 percent), debit/ATM cards (26 percent) and credit cards (11 percent) are also popular. For general shopping spend above SR375.04 ($100) in value, debit/ATM cards are the most popular (44 percent), followed by cash (34 percent) and credit cards (21 percent). “The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia presents an enormous opportunity for retailers of groceries and other general household items. The country's young and growing population means consumer spending will rise further.
