Saudi Arabia has emerged as the global leader in click-and-mortar shopping, with more than 55 percent of consumers favoring this hybrid shopping method — well above the global average of 39 percent, according to a recent study by PYMNTS Intelligence and Visa Acceptance Solutions. The “2024 Global Digital Shopping Index: KSA Edition” highlights that Saudi Arabia’s millennial shoppers are driving this trend, with nearly six in 10 reporting they have most recently shopped using a click-and-mortar approach. The study, conducted between September and December 2023, surveyed 1,392 consumers and 414 merchants in Saudi Arabia, offering a comparative insight from a broader survey of 13,904 consumers and 3,512 merchants across seven countries, including Brazil, India, the UAE, Mexico, the US, and the UK.
The study highlights emerging trends in consumer behavior, documenting the rise of click-and-mortar shopping experiences, where digital tools seamlessly integrate with physical locations. This hybrid approach is replacing the traditional divide between online-only and in-store-only shopping.
In Saudi Arabia, the demand for an enhanced click-and-mortar experience is strong. Saudi merchants offer an average of 28 digital shopping features out of the 34 identified in the study — ranking higher in this metric than merchants in any of the other six countries surveyed.
