Eid night witnesses remarkable increase in number of shoppers in co-ops, markets
‘MoCI should continue operating barcode system’
KUWAIT CITY, May 26: On the night of Eid Al-Fitr, some cooperative societies and supermarkets witnessed massive rush by both citizens and residents to shop, reports Al-Rai daily.
Officials of a number of cooperative societies explained to the daily that there were relatively high rates of consumer patronage in their markets. The matter was not a reason to panic, but to provide their needs to compensate them for the holiday atmosphere. It indicated hours of happiness in celebrating Eid Al-Fitr under the spotlight of changes created by the COVID-19 crisis in people’s lives.
A member of the Board of Directors and Chairman of the Social Committee at Salmiya Cooperative Society Salem Al-Jaddi said the Eid night witnessed a remarkable increase in the number of shoppers compared to the previous days, such that the number of reservations was completely exhausted.
He explained that many consumers adhered to the reservation dates during that night compared to the numbers of those who booked appointments but did not show up in the past days.
The different atmosphere imposed by the complete lockdown on roaming led many consumers to purchase holiday supplies, bringing about an unusual demand.
The decision to close the markets on the first day of the Eid holiday also played a pivotal role in increasing the number of consumers.
Al-Jaddi called on Ministry of Commerce and Industry to continue operating the barcode system if the government decides to partially lifting the lockdown, so that the state of stability in the market conditions continues amid precautionary measures.
Meanwhile, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Farwaniya Cooperative Society Falah AlHaifi said the cooperative society did not lost the sparkle of Eid as it recorded the maximum number of shoppers possible that night.
He affirmed that majority of the shoppers - both citizens and residents - focused on commodities for celebrating Eid Al-Fitr while shopping, insisting that the decision to close the markets on the first day of the holiday was appropriate and an opportunity for the market departments to take a break and rearrange the conditions.
In this regard, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Abu Halifa Cooperative Society Mansour Al-Baddah explained that the Eid night witnessed heavy demand by shoppers at the cooperative society.
It was attributed to the uniqueness of this cooperative society as it is the only central market in the area, and there are no other markets. This is in addition to the population density, as the area has has a mixed population due to the availability of private and investment houses, which contributed to increase in the number of consumers wishing for its services.
He affirmed that the decision to close the cooperative societies on the first day of the holiday led the shoppers to meet their needs from the market during that night.
Al-Baddah indicated that the total lockdown, its clash with the Eid Al-Fitr holidays, and the lack of restaurants and shops to provide food items for celebrating Eid had prompted consumers to try to compensate for the atmosphere of the celebration by preparing feasts at home, adding that this led them to resort to the markets to get their needs with the hope of ensuring happy times for their families.
It is worth mentioning that shopping bookings remained stable at previous rates, as well as the number of actual attendees.
Ministry of Commerce and Industry had announced that the total online shopping reservations recorded that day via the booking system was 101,461 in cooperative societies, supermarkets and catering branches, and 49,580 people had visited.
The cooperative societies registered 54,877 reservations, with an attendance of 27,220, or 50 percent. The total reservations for supermarkets was 40,415, with an attendance of 21,146, accounting for 52 percent. The catering branches recorded 6,169 reservations with the attendance of 1,214, which was 20 percent.
Ministry of Commerce clarified that it received 110 complaints via its hotline No. 135 and conducted 62 checks and inspections at cooperative societies and supermarkets to determine commitment to regulations and standards. It also inspected 65 catering branches to monitor the progress of work.