Leading retailers of premium and luxury watches in Qatar are witnessing a strong recovery of the industry with their sales surging in the past three months, it is learnt.
Speaking to Gulf Times, an employee of a leading watch distributor in the country said the months of May, June and July recorded a big demand for high-end timepieces.
He said one of their stores in Doha did sales of more than QR900,000 in a month, nearly the same amount during the pre-pandemic period.
“We got QR150,000 in four days, so the appeal of luxury items is always there, and with most countries opening their borders again, people want to travel and wear new watches,” he said, expressing optimism that such a trend will continue in the coming months.
According to the employee, many customers also take advantage of various promotions and special offers, in addition to the regular discounts given by salespersons.
He noted that a discount of 10 to 15% remains attractive for clients and giving as much as 20% makes it more appealing for buyers of luxury pieces. Some shops offer up to 25% discount on selected items.
As the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 approaches, the employee said they expect total sales (all outlets) to break pre pandemic levels in the coming months.
“The increasing number of visitors from neighbouring GCC countries is a big factor because these are all ‘quality buyers’, meaning they really spend a lot on luxury items, and we have seen that in the past two months, and up to the third week of July,” he said.
This view was echoed by an employee of another distributor of popular watch brands, which also operates several stores across the country.
Despite the growing interest for smartwatches, he said premium and high-end timepieces have retained their allure to many customers, including young professionals.
He said luxury brands found a way “to recapture customers’ interest in their products once again” amid the Covid-19 pandemic, many of which have tapped the internet and social media for their marketing and promotions.
Like gold and other types of jewellery, the employee said people are also particularly looking for timepieces that hold value over time. “Almost all our branches saw record sales for high-end watches in the past two Eid holidays, whatever the luxury brand is.”
“We hope to receive more delivery soon to meet the continuously growing demand and our customers’ expectations,” he stressed.
Speaking to Gulf Times, an employee of a leading watch distributor in the country said the months of May, June and July recorded a big demand for high-end timepieces.
He said one of their stores in Doha did sales of more than QR900,000 in a month, nearly the same amount during the pre-pandemic period.
“We got QR150,000 in four days, so the appeal of luxury items is always there, and with most countries opening their borders again, people want to travel and wear new watches,” he said, expressing optimism that such a trend will continue in the coming months.
According to the employee, many customers also take advantage of various promotions and special offers, in addition to the regular discounts given by salespersons.
He noted that a discount of 10 to 15% remains attractive for clients and giving as much as 20% makes it more appealing for buyers of luxury pieces. Some shops offer up to 25% discount on selected items.
As the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 approaches, the employee said they expect total sales (all outlets) to break pre pandemic levels in the coming months.
“The increasing number of visitors from neighbouring GCC countries is a big factor because these are all ‘quality buyers’, meaning they really spend a lot on luxury items, and we have seen that in the past two months, and up to the third week of July,” he said.
This view was echoed by an employee of another distributor of popular watch brands, which also operates several stores across the country.
Despite the growing interest for smartwatches, he said premium and high-end timepieces have retained their allure to many customers, including young professionals.
He said luxury brands found a way “to recapture customers’ interest in their products once again” amid the Covid-19 pandemic, many of which have tapped the internet and social media for their marketing and promotions.
Like gold and other types of jewellery, the employee said people are also particularly looking for timepieces that hold value over time. “Almost all our branches saw record sales for high-end watches in the past two Eid holidays, whatever the luxury brand is.”
“We hope to receive more delivery soon to meet the continuously growing demand and our customers’ expectations,” he stressed.
