A number of shop owners have demanded that youths be allowed access to modern shopping centers and malls at all times.
Many malls do not allow young single men to enter, in particular during the weekends, so as not to disturb families.
The owners complained that this decision had caused the closure of a number of shops, given the high rents and low profit margins.
“The weekend represents an opportunity for us to sell our merchandise to youth, in view that all people — youth and families —are busy on weekdays,” said Mohammad Al-Khedeire, owner of a men’s wear shop.
He said some shops had been forced to shut down because they could not pay the high rents, ranging from SR500 to SR3,500 per square meter, and sales that target youth had been very low.
“We have a large number of branches in malls, but preventing young people from entering these malls affects the company’s sales,” said Mohamed Sayed, marketing chief of a mobile phones company. He said his company heavily relied on women shoppers, who constitute more than 60 percent of its customers.
The company is committed to pay rents of no less than SR500,000 a year, he said. “That puts us in a position to reach all segments of customers.”
However, a security officer at Red Sea Mall, Tareq Al-Ghamdi, said that most youth visiting these malls on weekends did not intend to buy things.
He wonders why they do not come on other days of the week, when families are mostly not present.
Mohammad Al-Shareef, an employee, said that most youth come to spend some time at cafes during weekends. “Undoubtedly, there are some inconveniences, but there are also solutions other than preventing them from entering,” he said.
Shop owners blame restriction on singles for lackluster sales
