New and old players are entering with renewed energy:
- Keeta (from Jumia’s founder) is launching a marketplace model with curated discovery and better delivery economics
- Spinneys, Panda, Nesto are modernizing digital storefronts to move from aggregator reliance to first-party data plays
- Local specialty sites are rising (e.g., babycare, organic foods, Arabic fragrances)
The lesson? This is no longer a 2-player game. Fragmentation is here, and it’s great for consumers—but challenging for CPG trade teams.
So, What Should CPG Brands Do?
Here’s what we’re advising our clients at ENG Future Media:
1. Balance Trade Marketing with Retail Media
Trade Marketing = fixed placements, discounts, endcaps
Retail Media = data-driven targeting, paid search, programmatic banners
You need both—but don’t treat them the same.
- Use Retail Media for top SKUs in competitive categories (detergents, personal care, snacks)
- Use Trade for launches, regionally-focused SKUs, or platform-level incentives
- Test Channel-Specific ROAS — Not Overall Blended Numbers
A campaign that works on Noon might flop on Amazon Bazaar.
Keeta might drive discoverability, but not repeat purchase (yet).
Track performance by platform, not campaign.
3. Segment SKUs by Channel Strategy
Not every SKU belongs everywhere.
- Premium 4-packs → Amazon Now
- Budget/value packs → Amazon Bazaar
- Fast-moving singles → Talabat/Lulu
- Trial/sample → D2C website or influencer drops
Let your supply chain and conversion cost dictate channel selection—not vanity reach.
4. Invest in Creative Built for Ecomm — Not Repurposed ATL Assets
- Bazaar & Now require different types of product content, pricing logic, thumbnails, and review strategies
- Use data-driven A+ content, dynamic pricing, and platform-optimized media plans
5. Get Retail Media & Brand Strategy Teams to Talk Weekly
Too many CPG brands separate media planning from trade planning.
That disconnect leads to:
- Overspend on one platform
- No attribution on blended campaigns
- Missed co-op funding opportunities
At ENG, we help align both sides of the table: sales + marketing, media + ops, brand + performance.
The Bottom Line
The GCC e-commerce landscape is now more layered, more local, and more algorithmic than ever before.
For CPG brands to succeed in this new landscape, you need more than just listings—you need a strategic omnichannel plan, with smart use of trade budgets, precision retail media, and deep platform knowledge.
As formats like Amazon Now and Bazaar reshape buyer behavior, and new players like Keeta disrupt old dynamics, the brands that will win are those who learn to balance speed, price, visibility, and brand value—not just chase one.
Need help crafting your marketplace & D2C strategy in UAE or KSA?
ENG Future Media offers full-funnel e-commerce solutions for CPGs—from content optimization and catalog management to advanced retail media planning and conversion analytics.
Let’s talk.
