While most marketing efforts focus on the Eid al-Fitr season, Eid al-Adha passes with relative quiet despite offering consumer opportunities that are no less significant. From gifting to travel, Eid al-Adha represents an open marketing arena for fashion brands, thanks to lower competition and a higher consumer willingness to embrace new experiences.

Data in Saudi Arabia shows that fashion is among the most active categories during Eid, alongside electronics and home essentials. This reflects a growing interest in items with symbolic and seasonal value.

Why Has the Smartphone Become the Primary Store During Eid?

In Saudi Arabia, mobile payments have surpassed 50 percent and e-commerce jumped by 15 percent during Eid al-Adha. Purchasing decisions have become instantaneous, driven by notifications and digital content, which means brands that are inactive digitally are absent from the consumer’s choices at the moment of decision.

In the fashion category, which accounts for 14.6 percent of Eid purchases, the shopping journey begins on the screen, from the first impression all the way to checkout.

What Do the Numbers Reveal About Fashion During Eid?

According to the ZBooni report, electronics topped Eid purchases at 25.2 percent, followed by home essentials, and then fashion at 14.6 percent.

The percentage may seem modest, but it highlights an opportunity. Many brands present their products in a standard format rather than as seasonal, giftable experiences. The real opportunity lies in how the item is presented, not only in what it is.

How Does Emotion Shape Purchasing Decisions?

Today’s consumer is not only looking for a product but for a gift that represents them. This is where the concept of “emotional commerce” comes in: the story, the packaging, and the surprise of the presentation all become part of the value.

Consumer psychology classifies gifts as symbolic decisions that go beyond price, especially in seasons like Eid al-Adha, where details reflecting taste and intention gain greater importance.

In the UAE, fashion accounted for 17.5 percent of Eid purchases compared to 14.6 percent in Saudi Arabia. This contrast points to a direct opportunity for Saudi brands to experiment with emotionally driven offerings at the regional level and test what could later resonate in the local market.

Why Does Fashion Offer a Unique Advantage?

Fashion carries qualities that many other categories cannot match. It can be personalized, it connects deeply with emotions, and it has the power to become a gift that tells a story and leaves a memory.

Take sleepwear as an example. Saudi brands are now presenting it with refined designs and luxurious fabrics, turning it into a choice that blends comfort, intimacy, and style. With the sleepwear market projected to exceed 130 million dollars by 2029, this segment stands out as a perfect entry point for a holistic gifting experience that moves seamlessly from the product itself to the packaging to the moment it is unwrapped.

Gift Cards: A Psychological and Commercial Solution

Many consumers hesitate to gift fashion items because of size or taste. Gift cards remove this hesitation without diminishing the symbolic value of the gift.

Data shows that gift cards increase average order value by 15 to 30 percent, and 37 to 42 percent of users spend more than the card’s original value. They are an effective marketing tool that boosts revenue and builds deeper loyalty without requiring extra effort.

Eid al-Adha may not be treated as a key season in the fashion sector, but consumer behavior tells a different story. Competition is lower, attention is higher, and a good experience leaves a stronger impact.

Sometimes opportunity does not lie in the peak of the season but on its margins, when the door is open to whoever moves first.

So, should we rethink the seasonal calendar?