Egyptians are keen on keeping up the tradition of buying new outfits for Eid, no matter what, reports Nesma Nowar "I have to buy new clothes for my children in Eid, it is a must," said Sarah Salah, a mother of two children. "Festivities are not complete without new outfits for the kids," she added while entering a clothes store in Cairo's district of Mohandessin. Salah is not alone. Amina, who was visiting the same store, confirmed that she came to buy her children new outfits for Eid, as "nothing else pleases them." With Eid Al-Fitr (the Islamic holiday that follows the month of Ramadan) just days away, Egyptians are streaming into the country's shopping malls and districts in order to grab new clothes for their children, despite the country's tough economic conditions, the imminent start of the new school year and the strained budgets of many families following Ramadan. Buying new outfits is a distinct characteristic of Eid Al-Fitr. On a tour of several shopping centres in Cairo, Al-Ahram Weekly found many shops introducing special offers and discounts to attract buyers and take advantage of the high turnout at this time of year. The official summer sale started this month. Many shops started the sale earlier, however, in July, in a bid to attract more customers. "Whether there are discounts or not, demand normally soars as Eid approaches," a salesman at one store for women's wear told the Weekly. "Meanwhile, the promotional offers are certainly encouraging people to buy." He added that for the past two weeks, an increasing number of shoppers have been visiting his store, taking advantage of discounts of up to 70 per cent. According to Yehia Zananiri, head of the Garments Producers' Association, the clothes market sees a traditional boom at this time. He added that promotional offers would last until after Eid. Driven by Eid purchases, Zananiri expects people's purchases in the current period to climb by 30 per cent, with sales reaching some LE2 billion. "We are hopeful that demand in this period would pull the season's sales upwards," he said. Zananiri pointed out that the market has been stagnant since the start of summer, with many shops offering early discounts to push up sales overall. Sales this year range from 20 to 50 per cent. Zananiri added that this year, like in 2011, people's purchasing power is weak owing to difficult economic conditions. In addition, he complained of recurrent power cuts that have gripped the country since July. "Power outages are hindering business in shops and production at factories." Zananiri told the Weekly.
