ABHA: With many families wanting new furniture during Ramadan, furniture and interior decorating shops are raising prices to more than double what they were before the month.

Homeowner Zaina Mohammed says she used to change her home furniture every Ramadan but now, because of high prices and cost of living increases, she only changes pieces that are damaged or used a great deal. She says she is more careful in deciding on a budget for such purchases so as to avoid financial problems during the holy month.

Amani Basaqat says she only changes her furniture as needed and avoids limiting these purchases to the month of Ramadan only; she tries to limit spending during the month in order to ensure all her family’s needs are taken care of.

Saleh Qasem, the owner of a home furniture store, says sales of furniture increase significantly during the month of Ramadan, sometimes by close to 100 percent. He said many families prefer to change their home furnishings before Eid, with many opting for customized design.

During the month, the larger furniture and department stores tend to receive fewer customers than local and smaller stores, as customers prefer the smaller shops for their lower prices, says Mohammed Ahmed, a sales manager at a department store.

According to Assistant Professor at the Department of Social Sciences at King Abdulaziz University Fateeha Hussein Al-Qurashi, lavish spending during the month of Ramadan has become a habit and the norm for many, rather than spending time on worship and other beneficial services.

She said marketing and media promotions play a large role in luring customers by taking advantage of cultural and local traditions which lead to greater spending by consumers. She noted that more efforts are needed to ensure customers are motivated to make purchases based on need, rather than emotions and traditions.