JEDDAH: This year’s Ramadan shopping seemed to lack the usual enthusiasm and spirit, although there was a marked improvement toward the end of the month for Eid Al-Fitr.

Traditionally, Ramadan is an important yearly sales season for traders in Saudi Arabia and it is then that retailers in general make up for some of the losses in other parts of the year.

“We did less business throughout Ramadan compared to what we did last year. The few days before Eid, however, did provide some relief,” said Abdullah Al-Wadi, a trader in household goods in Balad.

His sentiments were echoed by most managers and supervisors at various malls, shopping centers and outlets all over Jeddah.

“Where have all the shoppers gone?” a carpet dealer at Mahmood Saeed Market asked. “Ramadan and Eid Al-Fitr are the times when people traditionally change their carpets, furniture and other items.”

Carpet dealers in general said their business was 20 to 30 percent less than it was in last Ramadan. “I look forward to Ramadan and Eid every year as I do 70 percent of my annual business then. But business this year has been far below expectations,” said an Afghan merchant in the Afghan carpet souk.

Furniture dealers also told a similar story, saying there were not many buyers of new furniture. “It’s possible the number of shops dealing in furniture has increased and so individually we see less business than last year,” a supervisor at a furniture showroom on Madinah Road said.

“This also shows that families are not changing their furniture as often as they did in the past,” he added.

Dealers in perfumes and dried fruits reported moderate business. Chocolates and dates were among the favorites during the month and their dealers did a roaring business.

“We did exceedingly well selling chocolates and dates, but it is difficult to quantify how much as the market for them is huge,” said a supervisor at Patchi.

Gold and jewelry outlets said the dull sales that they had experienced during the month improved a few days before Eid.

“We know gold prices have gone up. We also understand that the worldwide credit crunch has had its impact. But we did not expect our business to be as sluggish as it was this year,” said Abdul Karim, a supervisor at a shop in Kandara Gold Souk.

“This is also the time when our promotions pay off, as many families use the period to buy gold and jewelry for weddings, but we have been disappointed by the sales,” he added.

Inquiries made to a number of merchants showed that their business had been affected a great deal, as many Saudi and expatriate families were vacationing due to school holidays.

“Maybe the enthusiasm of shoppers was influenced by the swine flu pandemic,” one of them remarked.

However, throughout the month and especially on the eve of the Eid, outlets and shopping malls were not only decorated with multicolored lights in order to attract customers but many shops also announced attractive promotions.

The main shopping centers in Balad, Bani Malik, Tahlia Street as well as outlets at Jamjoom Center, International Market and Hera’a Center, and various malls, including Mall of Arabia, Red Sea Mall, Aziz Mall, Serafi Malland Sultan Mall, were crowded with people throughout the month. Most outlet managers agreed, however, that the size of the crowds had not resulted in a corresponding number of sales.

Those dealing in readymade dresses, footwear and cosmetics said their business was about normal. Many street vendors and stalls in Balad and Bani Malik said they did “more or less normal business.”

A cross-section of shoppers interviewed said that due to financial constraints, they had reduced their budgets for Ramadan and Eid shopping.

However, the fashion-conscious and financially well-off filled the fashionable outlets along Tahlia Street every night in search of the latest fashions and designs.

Rafique Khan, an Indian, said he took his family to different shopping centers each night. “We mostly window-shopped but we did buy some gifts for relatives and friends for Eid.”

Kamran Akhtar, a Pakistani, said: “I don’t like to visit shops or bazaars late at night, but my children insisted, wanting to enjoy the thrill of shopping and so I obliged them.”

Salah Mahmood, an Egyptian, said: “We did not venture out much for shopping because we are watching our expenses. We celebrated Eid with family visits.”