Parents struggle to keep up with rising cost of children’s clothes

AMMAN — Changes in customs valuation measures have led to a roughly 100 to 160 per cent increase in the prices of children’s clothing, according to a stakeholder. 

Representative of the clothing, footwear, fabrics and jewellery sector at the Jordan Chamber of Commerce and President of the Textile, Readymade Clothes and Footwear Syndicate, Sultan Allan, said that the customs’ valuation for imported goods, which determines the amount of payable customs duties, has notably increased since the beginning of the year 2023.

Allan attributed this to cancelling “indicative lists” outlining the prices of imported goods agreed upon by the Customs Department and the syndicate 12 years ago. 

“The Customs Department currently resorts to evaluating goods based on their own criteria,” he told The Jordan Times, noting that the prices of all clothing are witnessing a “marked increase” due to this step. 

Children’s clothing make up the majority of the sector’s imports during this period, marking the approach of Ramadan and Eid, according to Allan. 

The Jordan Times spoke with a number of mothers, who shared how they cut back on spending when buying clothes for their children to stay on budget. 

Sharifeh Talab, a mother of four, including a one-month-old baby, noted that the prices of children’s clothing “depend on where one chooses to shop”. 

“I mostly buy from outlet stores, which have recently become a bit expensive… sometimes I buy second-hand clothes, and my girls share some items,” she said. 

Talab, who has two girls aged 15 and 16, also pointed out that clothes for young teens tend to be more expensive than those for babies. 

Rand, a mother of two boys who preferred to be identified by her first name, noted that the prices of children’s clothes depend on their quality, as affordable options are “usually” less durable. 

She also noted that hand-me-downs are a good option to avoid spending too much money on clothes for fast-growing children. 

“I spent a fortune on clothes for my first born; babies need more than one change of clothes in a day, especially if they go to daycares, and they grow up so fast,” the working mother said. 

“When I had my second son, I was able to use his older brother’s clothes to save up money for other expenses, including shampoos, conditioners, lotions, powder, oils and diapers, among others,” she added. 

The clothing, footwear and fabric sector consists of roughly 4,000 importers and 14,000 retailers, employing around 68,000 workers, 98 per cent of whom are Jordanian, according to Allan.