Fun, Fashion And Halal Lipstick: Retailers Cash In On £200m Ramadan Economy
14 May 2018
Store chains plan special offers, products and events for month of fasting
Huffington Post
Muslims observing Ramadan are increasingly being targeted by supermarkets and
brands in the UK, which has led to a rise in spending on food and gifts during
the month, according to new research.
The Ramadan economy in the UK is worth at least £200m, with supermarket chains
such as Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda and Morrisons increasingly gearing products,
displays and special offers on popular food items to Ramadan in areas with
significant Muslim populations. This year, for example, Morrisons is selling a
Ramadan countdown calendar, similar to an Advent calendar, aimed at children.
The month-long Muslim religious observance starts in mid-May and its ending is
marked with the Eid al-Fitr holiday. MAC cosmetics, the Body Shop and Godiva
chocolates are some of the brands specifically packaging goods as Eid gifts.
Despite the trend, more than three-quarters of British Muslims want retailers
to pay even more attention to Ramadan, according to the Great British Ramadan,
a study by an Islamic marketing consultancy Ogilvy Noor.
"Muslims feel that Ramadan and Eid are ignored, the report says. "They see the
nation proudly gravitate towards cultural and religious holidays such as
Chinese New Year and Diwali. They are saying it's also time to embrace Ramadan
and Eid."
In an indication of growing awareness of the lucrative opportunities of the
Muslim market, Westfield London, Europe's largest shopping centre, is hosting
its first Eid festival in June. It will include live catwalk shows, pop-up
food stalls, special offers and performances.
"The Muslim pound is seen as a valuable and largely untapped opportunity in
the UK economy," says festival promotional material.
The global Islamic economy is forecast to be worth more than £3 trillion by
2021, according to the State of the Global Islamic Economy report, and is
growing at nearly double the rate of the general worldwide economy. The sector
includes halal food, Islamic finance, halal travel, modest fashion, halal
media and recreation, and halal pharmaceuticals and cosmetics.
Shelina Janmohamed, vice-president of Ogilvy Noor and author of a 2016 book,
Generation M: Young Muslims Changing the World, says: "The Ramadan season is
one of complete life transformation, which brings with it an economic surge.
"We conservatively estimate this to be upwards of £200m each year, covering
everything from financial planning to food, eating out, clothes, toys and
gifting. Following only Christmas and Easter in scale and size, this is surely
Britain's biggest untapped business opportunity."
Many of the UK's four million Muslims begin to prepare for Ramadan two weeks
before its start date, which is determined by the lunar calendar. The month is
characterised by sunrise-to-sunset fasting. Although in some countries the
working day is adjusted to accommodate the season, for many British Muslims
the fasting requirement is complicated by the need to continue working or
studying.
For the second year running, Ramadan falls within the six-week summer exam
season, which means hundreds of thousands of school and university students
have to take exams when their concentration may be impaired by lack of sleep,
food and water.
The absence of official recognition in the UK of the three-day Eid holiday
immediately following the end of Ramadan means traditional visits to family
and friends end up being spread over two weekends.
"In the UK, you don't have three days of shutdown over Eid like you do in the
Middle East," says Janmohamed. "Only about half of people take time off work,
so Eid visits and celebrations are spread out."
She said brands and retailers should wake up to the opportunities of the
Ramadan season. "If brands can play a useful role in Muslims' experience of
Ramadan, if they can help with planning or freeing up time for spiritual or
social activities, that is very welcome."
Almost two-thirds of Muslims plan financially for Ramadan and Eid, the study
found. More than half are concerned about their concentration during the
month-long daylight fast and two-thirds worry about dehydration. Young men in
particular are concerned about maintaining fitness and some gyms in areas with
big Muslim populations adjust opening times to allow exercise between iftar,
the sunset meal that breaks the fast, and suhoor, the pre-dawn meal.
The majority of British Muslims eat a range of food over the two meals, with
chicken and chips a favourite for 18-to-24-year-olds. Despite the long hours
of fasting, four in 10 married women say putting on weight during Ramadan is a
worry. Gift-giving, buying new clothes, eating out and family gatherings are
key features of the Eid holiday.
Charitable donations also increase markedly during Ramadan, particularly among
25-to-34-year-olds. Donations to Muslim charities through the JustGiving
website increased by almost 500% over Ramadan last year.
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