eCommerce lessons from the GCC

The GCC eCommerce market has matured rapidly. Customer expectations that took decades to set in other markets have developed here in five to seven years.

The first lesson: mobile is not a channel, it is the channel. Building a desktop-first store and optimising for mobile later still happens, and it still costs conversions.

The second: trust signals matter more here than in more established markets. Store design, payment options and review credibility are not nice-to-haves.

Third: build for repeat, not just acquisition. CAC is high across the region and rising. The operators winning right now are the ones who have built retention into the experience from day one.