Public business sector companies sales represented by clothing complex Sednaoui and at 3,000 other retail shops, reached EGP 48m during the summer sale, Minister of Supply Khaled Hanafy said Saturday. The summer sale took place between August and the first week of October, the Minister told state television, having been extended for an additional month from the first week of September. The minister said approximately 2,974 shops participated in the sale, adding that this participation was not mandatory. The public sector was represented by 140 shops, while the remainder were privately owned. The minister highlighted that shop owners were free to set the prices and percentages for their sale as long as they committed to their sale. Products sold included ready-made clothes, carpets, textiles, furniture, electrical equipments, silverware, and household utensils. Hanafy said that 1, 311 cases were filed against shops during the same period, with 1,171 of the cases appearing for promoting a nonexistent sale. A further 62 cases appeared for not announcing prices, and 82 for not using Arabic in promotions. A further 11 cases were filed after some shops violated a law for consumer protection, which stipulates that consumers have the right to return or exchange purchased merchandise within 14 days of purchase. Last month, the Ministry announced that a private investor intends to inject EGP 2bn into the construction of a hypermarket and 10 subsequent branches across Egypt. However, the ministry has declined to disclose the name of the company.
