Several retail outlets in Qatar have launched various promotions to boost their sagging sales this summer, which is considered as an off-peak season for many businesses.
“We usually schedule these offers during this time of the year because we expect the demand for clothes to slow down especially after the Eid al-Fitr celebrations,” a manager at a popular garments chain in the Middle East told Gulf Times.
He said they wanted residents to get a chance to avail of their “QR9-15-19” special offer (on selected items) at all its branches in the country.
Like other non-food items in the market, he noted that clothes were very hard to sell during this season as many residents had already shopped during Ramadan and the Eid al-Fitr holidays and many others had left the country on their annual vacation.
However, the manager stressed that offering quality products at affordable prices enticed many shoppers to  try new collections, “a strategy that has worked” well for the garments chain.
Echoing similar sentiments, an employee of a leading sports good chain said Qatar residents usually waited and took advantage of these kinds of promotions.
He expressed optimism that they would  be able to meet their monthly target  for the month of July due to the surge in sales particularly on apparel, different types of shoes, bicycles and accessories and kayak boats and equipment.
The store offers discounts ranging from 20% to 65% on several items at its branches in Qatar and other GCC countries.
“Usually, the demand for bicycles is very low during summer but we were surprised to sell at least 50 units in less than a month,” the employee noted.
He added that shoppers were also attracted to buy more than one pair of shoes just to avail of the reduced prices. “Expatriates tend to keep these items as gifts to their families and loved ones back home.”
One surprise item that has registered a rise in demand is pesticides. “The demand for some non-food items has remained high, including different kinds of pesticides due to the proliferation of cockroaches in many apartments in different areas in Doha,” a merchandiser said. “We have to refill new stocks at the stands at leading hypermarkets in the country almost every day.”  
One of the biggest losers of the season are furniture shops which see reduced footfall during summer,  according to a source.
A supervisor at a showroom said her company expected the demand for almost all items to drop from Ramadan up to the Eid al-Adha holidays since many residents took their vacations abroad during this period.
A leading furniture chain now offers reduced prices as part of its 15-day summer promotion to entice customers with their new collections.
An employee noted that the demand for sofas, beds, tables, cabinets, and several other furniture items were expected to increase after Eid when vacationers returned from their break.
Inquiries have found that the number customers visiting supermarkets and hypermarkets has fallen since the beginning of this month. “And many of them now limit their purchases to groceries,” a shop assistant said.