Electronic gadgets such as mobile phones and tablets have topped the list of best-selling items during Eid al-Adha shopping, according to retailers.

A merchandiser of a major hypermarket said pre-festival sales in August more than doubled compared to July. Citing a major mobile phone brand, the merchandiser said she was able to sell more than 500 units in August compared to the 240 units sold in July.
“Across major brands, the trend is the almost same with sales exceeding 50% compared to the previous month,” the merchandiser explained.
Eid-related promotions and expatriates leaving for vacation were among the notable factors that helped push sales of handheld gadgets, she pointed out.
“Sales growth is a regular trend during the holiday season because of many promotions and offers, and many expatriates take advantage of these promotions offered by outlets and hypermarkets across the country,” the merchandiser said.
Another retailer said that because of “attractive promos” some expatriates buy up to three mobile phones or other electronic gadgets to bring as gifts for relatives or family members back home.
Similarly, one store supervisor said that toys, clothes, and assorted foodstuff such as candies and chocolates were also top sellers.
An attendant of a local clothing shop at the Summer Entertainment City said that clothes are popular among ladies and children during the holiday season. Sales have started to pick up from August, she pointed out.
“Most of our customers are women, which is why we concentrate mainly on feminine designs. While some apparel shops offer ‘couples shirts’, we cater to matching ‘mother and daughter’s dresses’, which is a notable trend during the holidays,” she said.
In contrast, sales of laptops across all brands have failed to hit the mark compared to last year’s Eid al-Adha, retailers noted.
In May and June of this year, merchandisers were able to sell around 500 laptops per month. “But demand began to slip gradually because of the lack of stocks. Merchandisers of some brands were only able to sell a maximum of 120 units last July,” he said.
As many parents gear up for the opening of classes, a wide variety of ‘Back to School’ promos offered by different shops and hypermarkets helped push sales of assorted school supplies.
“But even after schools have opened, we are still expecting increased sales from ‘last minute shoppers’ because there are still parents that buy school supplies even after their children had attended classes,” a shop attendant said.