Jeddah sees ‘shopathon’
Published: Sep 7, 2010 00:43 Updated: Sep 7, 2010 00:43
JEDDAH: Jeddah residents of all ages and backgrounds have turned the last 10 days of Ramadan into a 24-hour shopping marathon ahead of the Eid Al-Fitr holiday, which is largely expected to fall on Friday.
Malls, supermarkets and shops all over Jeddah have remained open day and night to cater to the increasing demand of consumers.
“My shop is open throughout the day and night. This is an opportunity for me to make some money,” said a shopkeeper who did not want his name published.
A Saudi shopper, who also opted not to be named, said he prefers to go out shopping after the Fajr (predawn) prayer. “By doing so, I avoid crowds,” he added.
Salim Al-Malki, a middle-aged Saudi, said he was surprised to see the markets bustling with shoppers early in the morning. “I used to come from Bahrah with my family to Jeddah in the morning for shopping. Usually there is not any congestion at this time of the day. But this year, it seems that there are more people shopping in the morning than those in the evening,” he said.
Al-Malki said he prefers the malls and supermarkets of Jeddah because they sell a large variety of clothes that are in line with the latest fashions. “I was surprised to find a large number of shoppers in the morning. People usually prefer to shop in the evenings after they break their fast,” he said.
Khaled Al-Zarwi, another citizen, noted that prices were much higher this year than last year, especially for women’s clothes. “People usually prefer to hold weddings during Eid. For this reason, women’s clothes are very expensive,” he said.
Hussain Al-Hazmi said people chose to shop early in the morning out of the belief that there would not be many shoppers, as people usually prefer to sleep their hunger and thirst off.
“It is surprising to see more shoppers in the morning than in the evening. Many people believe that there will not be too many people during the day. Everyone is thinking the same thing, so there is overcrowding,” he said.
Ghali Al-Harbi criticized the tendency to delay Eid shopping until the last minute. “This has to change. Because of overcrowding and congestion, some people may get involved in traffic accidents. Others may catch diseases,” he warned.
