The winter sales season that started almost two months ago was expected to give a push to the market, but it seems it has not been a strong one. Shopkeepers are complaining of a fall in sales, while their customers are complaining of increasing prices. A relative absence of security and the violence that erupts from time to time have taken their toll on the markets. But will Mother's Day help things get better? A recent report has revealed that sales in most of downtown Cairo, a traditional shopping centre for decades, have declined by 50 to 70 per cent. The impact on the clothes industry could be the biggest, since most shops sell readymade clothes. Shopkeepers say that people are cautious when they go downtown, especially near the iconic Tahrir Square, fearing more clashes could explode there. "This has caused us huge losses. The almost-daily violence has driven people away," said one shopkeeper, blaming the absence of security for the problem. The shopkeeper, Mohamed Hussein, said that the fact that most people are suffering financially and complain of prices rising on an almost daily basis is also to blame. "This has prompted people to focus on their very basic needs. In addition to this, during the academic year, a considerable part of people's income goes on education and there's nothing left for anything else," Hussein told the Mail. It has been estimated that billions of pounds are spent on private tuition every year. A sales assistant in a shoe shop in Talaat Harb told the paper that the recession has hit the market hard. "Even the sales season has failed to stir up the market and most shopkeepers are afraid they will not be able to pay their staff wages and electricity bills next month," Mohamed Saber said. Many shop assistants have been laid off. It is common knowledge that people working in these shops depend more for survival on tips than on their tiny salaries. All the downtown Cairo shops are suffering from a hard recession and have been making losses, says the owner of a shop selling children's clothes, adding that sometimes that they do not feel safe at night and have to close early. Conditions are no better in the smart, relatively new shopping hubs in areas like Nasr City's Abbas el-Aqqad and Makram Ebeid streets, and upmarket Mohandiseen. "Most people indulge in window shopping and nothing else. Few of them buy anything. This season, we have had to reduce our prices by 75 per cent in some cases, but it's all been in vain," says Hajji Ibrahim, a shop owner in Mohandiseen. “The deteriorating conditions have compounded our debts and there are no grounds for optimism." The head of the Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (GMEA), Eng. Yehia el-Zaniri, says that the clothes industry has received its hardest-ever blow over the past two years, blaming the problem on low purchasing power, a continuous economic crisis and the lawlessness in the streets. But there is a glimmer of light, as we will be celebrating Mother's Day on Thursday, while spring is just around the corner. You can see many people out shopping for a present for their dear mothers. "Hopefully, Mother's Day will stir up the stagnant waters," says Adel Muneer, the owner of a perfume shop. "These days people come in and bargain, but only a few of them buy. At least there is some business." Hajj Mahmoud, whose shop sells leather bags, agrees. "Most people buy artificial leather bags these days, since they are cheap, but quite a few still opt for real McCoy, as leather makes a lovely present for a mother," he told this paper.
