Holidays are supposed to be glimmers of hope
for merchants who are expecting to compensate for their economic losses,
especially during the pandemic. But, according to Munir Deyye, president of the
Textile and Readymade Clothes Syndicate, "this does not apply to the
current situation, where Eid Al-Adha is next week and people’s demand for
purchase is faltering."
اضافة اعلان
For those who celebrate
Eid Al-Adha, it is
customary to buy new clothes — a custom that
stimulates demand at clothing vendors and malls each year.
"Next week people will get their salaries,”
said Deyye. “I assume that their demand for clothing will be better. Nonetheless,
the situation will not be the same as it was before the pandemic."
Citizens who spoke to
Jordan News said
that shopping is not a priority anymore — despite the holiday — because of the gruelling
losses they have faced during the pandemic.
Mohammad Ali, a father of three children, told
Jordan
News that he only buys “clothes for my three children. I can never buy
clothes for myself or for my wife — this hurts me, but God only knows how hard
it is for me to buy clothes for five people at one time."
"Eid,
which is joy and fun for children, is really hard for their parents,” Ali said.
“The problem is that our circumstances are getting even harder each year. Every
time I say things will be better, I am shocked that things are even
worse."
Basma Khair, a career mother, told
Jordan
News that she likes eid and anticipates it each year.
“We have faced hard times during the pandemic. It
is finally time to be around families and friends,” said Khair. "You can
enjoy Eid without spending a lot of money and that is what I do. My family and
I only buy what we need and nothing more.”
Mohammad Al Ajarmah, a clothing store owner,
told
Jordan News that whether or not “purchasing power is better
nowadays” does not matter to him anymore.
“Let us say that people these days come and buy
clothes because Eid is next week, and that our situation is better. A month
from now, I can confirm to you that things will be worse again. I honestly cannot
only rely on holidays to compensate my losses,” he explained.
"My
losses are significant, and if the government does not find us fast and real
solutions I can guarantee to you that I will be closing my store before the end
of this year,” he added.
Yazan Mohammad, an employee at a clothing store,
told
Jordan News that "people do not want to buy, they pass by our
store looking for very cheap items."
"Our situation as buyers and merchants is
terrible,” Mohammad said. “I can understand that they cannot afford to buy
expensive clothes, but at the same time, they have to understand that when an
item costs me JD15, for example, I cannot sell it for JD7. Some people really do not
understand that we are losing."
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