With Christmas around the corner, stores in Doha are doing brisk business as the demand for festive goodies and gifts peaks.
A wide variety of decorative items are on display at hypermarkets across the city and business has been particularly good over the past fortnight, say sources.
The rush of shoppers looking for Christmas-related items increases during the weekend, when families visit hypermarkets and malls in large numbers.
Exclusive counters selling products related to the festive season could be found in many hypermarkets. A number of the items sold there are imported from China.
The products on offer cater to different budgets, say shop staff. “We have trees starting from as low as QR20 to QR299, depending upon the size and quality,” said an employee of a popular shopping centre in Doha. The outlet features an exclusive Christmas counter on its first floor.
Christmas trees are available in a number of colours, such as orange and red, this year in addition to the usual green.
Besides China, several items are also imported from India, including stars and cakes. “We are importing such cakes to cater to the requirements of our Indian customers,” said a
salesman at a city retail shop.
Sources said special toffees and chocolates that are usually sold only during the Christmas season in European countries have been entering the local market over the past three-four years.