RIYADH: Consumers in the Middle East and North Africa region are expected to spend $6.2 billion on online foods during the holy month Ramadan in 2022, a report by RedSeer Consulting showed. In its report ‘Unwrapping Ramadan 2022 – Decoding the Upcoming Sales Extravaganza,’ the management consulting firm showed that sales during Ramadan account for 16 percent of annual sales. It estimates that grocery and fashion will see the most significant rise with 87 percent and 70 percent of consumers planning increased spending respectively. “Ramadan induces consumer behavior that is very different to normal working times, particularly the peak demand time shifts,” Clemence Dutertre, VP of demand at Careem, confirmed. “Use cases change massively as people work from home, while others return home at a different time of the day,” she added. Similarly, in the home and electronics sectors, 62 percent and 58 percent of consumers said they intend to increase their spending.