Sales of electronic devices, including televisions, in many outlets in Qatar have surged ahead of the Eid al-Fitr holidays, it is learnt.
Shoppers, mostly expatriates who will be going home this Eid, thronged leading hypermarkets in Doha from Thursday evening, buying various items as gifts for their loved ones, as well as for personal use.
A merchandiser told Gulf Times they expect sales of laptops to go up in the coming days since many expatriates are likely to take them when they travel.
“This has been a trend every year and normally people want to have something for their families back home,” he explained, while observing that the Eid al-Fitr holiday is also an opportunity for many residents to take advantage of the promotions offered by most outlets in the country.
He noted that while few promotions are on offer for laptops this year, sales continue to surge due to the timing of the upcoming holidays.
Many residents received their salary on Thursday, giving them at least a week to shop before taking their break, according to the merchandiser.
A supermarket is offering extended warranty and a 50% discount on software for every unit (almost all brands) purchased.
Outlets are also expecting their sales of smartphones and other gadgets such as tablets, portable speakers and accessories to increase further in the coming days.
These also include other items such as memory cards, flash drives, power banks, phone protectors, power adapters and headsets, as well as various travel accessories.
At a popular supermarket chain in Qatar, which experienced a huge rush of shoppers from Thursday, a merchandiser said smart TVs are on top of expatriates’ list, mostly the 40 and 42-inch models.
One brand offers its 40-inch Smart LED TV for QR1,499 while another brand dropped the price of its 32-inch Smart LED TV to QR499. Accessories such as speakers and music bars are also in demand for many shoppers.
Besides electronic devices, residents also continue to buy new clothes especially for children as they prepare for the Eid celebration, according to a manager of a popular garment chain.
“Many shoppers normally come a week after the start of Ramadan,” he said, as he expressed confidence of surpassing their previous target for Eid last year.
While sales of such non-food items continue to surge before Eid, sales of furniture in many outlets in the country starts to slow down, it is learnt.
“People who are set to travel for the holiday will not buy something they will just leave behind, but we expect sales to surge by September when they come back,” a staff of a leading furniture store told Gulf Times.