By Ayman Adly/Staff Reporter
Retail outlets selling foodstuff, electronic items, clothes, watches and other consumer goods are witnessing a jump in footfall across the country ahead of Eid al-Fitr.
This is also the time when many expatriates prepare to go home on their annual leave. Keen to buy gifts for loved ones in their home countries, many of them spend hours looking for good bargains at various shopping destinations.
“Every year, we spend the week before the holidays buying small gifts for relatives and friends back home. It is a costly and exhausting practice, but we have to live up to the expectations of our friends and cannot disappoint them,” said an expatriate.
This, along with the shopping spree in the run-up to Eid, has ensured a business boom for retail outlets.
“Food items are the biggest sellers, be it fruits, vegetables, meat or other products. We have been busy every evening during Ramadan, with a large number of customers queuing up at the cash counter,” said a retail superviser at a major shopping mall in Doha.
Shopping malls across Qatar have come up with a variety of special offers and discounts to woo customers.
“These offers are sometimes good, but one should compare them before spending much money. If used well, it can be a good time to buy more, especially durable goods such as clothes, shoes and electronics, which will be more expensive otherwise,” said an Asian woman, accompanied by her three daughters.
Traditionally, children in Qatari and Arab families are allocated the largest portion of the family budget for Eid. So, it’s no surprise that retailers of children’s clothes and toys have reported particularly good sales during the period.
“The happiness of children is the real joy of Eid and it is an unforgettable time for all of us. Nowadays, children seem to prefer electronic items to traditional gifts like dolls and toy guns,” said a local.
Luxury goods and accessories rank second after gadgets such as mobile phones and tablets in the gifts market.
“Small but valuable and original - this is the rule to follow while buying a gift and taking it onboard while travelling back home,” said an Arab expatriate shopping for gifts.
Shoppers in one of the local markets. PICTURE: Jayan Orma
