Starting this weekend, Chauffeur service Careem will offer users a chance to get “hands on” with popular tech products before buying them on e-commerce site Souq.com.

Thursday 13th May, Dubai: Souq.com and Careem have partnered to announce an e-commerce first; starting this weekend, the two homegrown  tech companies will be giving consumers a chance to get ‘hands on’ with e-commerce only products before they launch. Through Careem, consumers, in the absence of a bricks and mortar store, will be able to touch, feel and play with top tech products that would otherwise only be available online through souq.com. The initiative is called “Souq Test Drive, in Partnership with Careem”.

The two companies will kick off this partnership by launching a preview of the Huawei Honor 6 Plus smartphone this coming weekend. The Honor 6 Plus will only be available to purchase from the 18th May.  Future previews could include the Apple Watch and other top smartphones.

To be part of the Huawei Honor Plus 6 product preview, users  simply have to go onto the Careem website, or download the Careem app and select a “Souq.com” car type through the normal app or website interface.  A Careem car will then turn up to the user’s destination of choice and the consumer will be able to sample the new Huawei device in the comfort of a Careem Lexus car. A promoter will be on-hand to offer product guidance. This preview option will be available as a free ride that does not charge the end customer.

Tariq Sanad, Head of Sales & Marketing, Careem says: “We are very excited to be involved in the launch of a new generation smartphone and being able to reveal it to the general public before it goes on sale exclusively via Souq.com. The notion of bringing a high-demand and ‘not yet available’ product to a customer so that they can ‘try before they buy’ is such a step forward in terms of customer experience and very much in line with Careem’s mission to make life hassle-free.  This is the first of many in-car trials we will collaborate on together with our partners at Souq.com. With Careem and Souq.com, long gone will be the days of customers having to stand outside retail outlets queuing for hours, just to get a glimpse of the latest hot new gadget to hit the market… with us, the product will come to them.” 

The Huawei Honor 6 Plus ‘Test Drive” will be available from Friday 15th May - Sun 17th May, from 12pm-6pm daily. To book your preview, go to http://Careem.com from Thursday 14th May.