Typical summer sales bump misses Jordan’s brick-and-mortar apparel sector

AMMAN — Several major factors are continuing to hinder the local apparel sector, preventing the summer sales bump typical of the sector, stakeholders say.

“Warmer weather did not boost sales at apparel stores and did not encourage many shoppers to bounce back into malls and shopping centres to buy new clothes,” President of the Textile, Readymade Clothes and Footwear Syndicate Sultan Allan told The Jordan Times.

High sales taxes, an increase in online shopping, continuous shifts in consumer spending and the highly competitive nature of the apparel business have all contributed to clothing sales at physical locations being dragged down, Allan said.

Noting the significant increase in Jordan’s tourist traffic, Allan pointed out the importance of creating a tax-free shopping experience for visitors, which would “help the local apparel sector by increasing sales volume”.

Currently, a significant number of shops in commercial centres and malls are offering discounts of up to 50 per cent on all store items or selected collections to encourage people, particularly those visiting from abroad, to make purchases, he added.

Clothing boutique owner Hala Abdullah told The Jordan Times that she has not seen as many customers as usual this summer, noting that “sales have decreased by at least 40 per cent” at her business.

The current Tawjihi exam period has also impacted the purchasing power of many families who have a Tawjihi student, she added.

Sabri Shabsough, owner of an apparel shop in downtown Amman, said that the majority of customers come to his shop, inquire about the prices and then keep begin to walk away expecting that he will further decrease his already discounted prices.

“Many customers do not understand that we are not making any profit,” he said.