Demand for kitchen utensils and cooking equipment has increased among shoppers with the onset of the holy month of Ramadan, local Arabic daily Arrayah reported.
A number of shopping malls and retailers have launched various promotions and offers to attract more customers, especially for kitchen equipment and cooking utensils as well as various food items, in particular rice flour, sweets, dairy products, dried fruits, dates, meat and spices.
Ismail al-Mohamadi, owner of a kitchen utensils shop, said he has seen more demand for popular kitchen utensils with traditional style, which is mostly preferred by Qataris for cooking during Ramadan. Demand has gone up for gas stoves of different sizes and types as well. Abdullatif Ahmed, a salesman at a utensils shop, pointed out that the sales have gone up considerably since the onset of Ramadan. Ibrahim Ali, a shopkeeper, said that the prices of popular and traditional kitchen utensils at Souq Waqif shops are excellent, compared to the other places. He said that the demand is high in particular for serving trays, and coffee and tea kettles. A good number of families often like to upgrade their kitchen during the holy month, he said.
The shops that sell Ramadan decorations have also seen good demand from both the local and expatriate communities, with items available from QR10 upwards, according to the design, material and quality. Further, sellers reported good sales of prayer mats of different sizes and types with the price range of QR10-QR50. Also, the shops selling perfumes and incense have started to experience rising demand and excellent sales, especially those at the traditional souqs such as Souq Waqif.
