UAE. Abu Dhabi Duty Free has reported a +5% contribution to purchases of the retailer’s popular raffle draws since it began offering the service online.
The retailer claimed that this is an above average figure in terms of online shopping in general. It said the success was driven by the ease with which customers can purchase tickets online with credit cards.
“The internet has taken its place beside the telephone and television as an important part of people’s lives,” said Niveen Ibrahim, Business Development & Marketing Manager, Abu Dhabi Airport Catering and Duty Free.
“Consumers use the Internet to shop, bank and invest online. Most consumers use credit cards to pay for online purchases. We strongly promote and encourage our customers to utilize our online programme. After having the online presence, we have managed to reach our customers wherever they are based and who want to purchase raffle tickets. It is convenient for their business and travel schedules and one does not have to be travelling to buy a raffle ticket online.”
Abu Dhabi Duty Free’s online raffle programme is a simple process for customers who wish to make their purchases. Customers log onto www.addf.ae and select the raffle product that they are interested in. Current prizes for the raffle offered at the Abu Dhabi Duty Free include AED1 million (US$272,000), and Mercedes CLS350 and Mercedes CK200 cars. When customers have selected an item to purchase, the ticket number appears on the screen. When they have completed the buying process, they receive a message notifying them that the process has been successfully completed.
Abu Dhabi Duty Free’s accounts department strictly monitors and supervise the process to obtain the information entered and issue a raffle ticket that is then dropped into the appropriate raffle drum. Customers who have made online purchases receive the other portion of their raffle ticket by mail, plus (later) a thank you letter from Abu Dhabi Duty Free, informing them of the winners of the raffle and their details.
Raffle participants can select the method by which they are informed about the raffle results.
“The mobile community is definitely expanding by the day and the ease of text messages has stimulated its usage by a lot of business and individuals,” added Ibrahim. “Having undertaken this direction, we will be able to inform our customers of the raffle results via SMS efficiently as we aim to use this tool as part of our regular customer-care programmes.”
Ibrahim also emphasised the security of the site. “We have commissioned Contrast Payment Gateway for the online service, to operate and ensure the highest standards of security and safety for the users. The system is a technological vehicle that passes credit card information from merchant accounts to the banks for them to process the charges,” she said.
“The system utilizes the world’s most advanced proprietary fraud prevention systems to create a safe, global, real-time payment solution. Frequent internet buyers need to also look for the “˜lock’ icon on the browser’s status bar before submitting their purchase information, this verifies a secured site.”
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