Editor's Note: Why My Phone Is Now My Mall
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I realized something last week while scrolling through Instagram. I wasn't just looking at funny videos or holiday photos—I was shopping. Without even thinking about it, I added a few things to my cart, tapped to pay, and that was that. No search engines, no e-commerce websites. Just me, my phone, and a perfectly timed product reel.
It turns out I'm not alone. According to DHL's new E-Commerce Trends Report 2025, a staggering 96% of UAE consumers now expect to do most of their online shopping directly through social media platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook by the end of this decade. That's not a subtle shift. That's a complete transformation of how we buy.
In fact, 86% of people here say they've already made a purchase via social media. And 93% admit that viral trends and influencer hype directly shape what they buy. It's no wonder that brands are scrambling to build mobile-first, in-app experiences that feel more like entertainment than retail.
It's not just the platforms that are changing. Artificial intelligence is quietly reshaping the shopping experience too— whether through virtual try-ons, voice-enabled searches, or smart assistants helping us find what we didn't even know we needed. In the UAE, nearly 9 in 10 shoppers want this tech, and more than half are already using voice commands to shop.
But if brands want to keep up, flashy tools aren't enough. Logistics still matter. The same DHL report shows that most shoppers here will walk away from a purchase if delivery options don't suit them—or if the returns process feels like a chore. In other words, convenience still rules.
All of this leaves me wondering: will malls become museums of consumer nostalgia? Will shopping become something we used to do in person, like renting DVDs? If this trend keeps up— and it looks like it will—we might hit that future far sooner than we think.
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