Apparel sales down 70% post-pandemic, says sector representative

AMMAN — Apparel sales volumes in the local market dropped by 70 per cent compared with previous years, said President of the Textile, Readymade Clothes and Footwear Syndicate Sultan Allan.

“Consumer spending is not picking up, despite the fact it is still summer and most stores and clothing shops are offering discounts,” Allan told The Jordan Times.

Postal apparel packages and online channel shifts have also reversely affected the apparel sector in Jordan, according to Allan. He added that sector operators are currently unable to meet their monthly financial demands.

On Saturday, Ammar Yaseen, owner of a clothing shop in Amman, told The Jordan Times that currently, Jordanian families are preparing for the new school year, so he expects back-to-school shopping will relieve some of the financial burden.

“During back-to-school shopping season, people used to buy new things every year for their kids, but now everything changed and they only buy what is necessary,” Yaseen said.

“We are seeing less and less customers coming to our stores, and that really makes us feel anxious the whole time,” according to Yaseen, who said that although he has tried to manage cost inflation, nothing has changed and the situation is not improving.

“We have observed a significant change in people’s spending. I prefer buying clothes when I travel because here in Jordan everything is so expensive,” said Suad Fadda, a Jordanian in her 50s.

As for Jordanian mother Aseel Qteishat, she said that she has stopped buying her son new clothes for each school semester.

“Now, I only go to the stationery store and pick up the things that he needs.” she told The Jordan Times, adding that clothes are still expensive even after a discount, so she has cut back on shopping.