Summer sale: Good omen for consumers, retailers

The Ministry of Supply and Internal Trade announced the start of the 2023 summer sale as of Monday, August 7. The sale, which will last for a month, offers discounts ranging between 50 to 70%, Ahmed Kamal, the official spokesman for the Ministry of Supply, said.

He said that as many as 500 shops have already participated in the sale so far. “We expect that number to reach 4,000 shops nationwide by the end of the sale, including clothing, home appliance and leather goods stores,” he added.

The sale is intended to encourage Egyptians to buy more at lower prices, thus stimulating domestic consumption, Kamal said, stressing that there are strict commercial controls from the internal trade sector and the Consumer Protection Agency, to ensure that the discounts are real.

The quality of products offered to consumers, and the sales invoices are checked through the controls, Kamal also said.
Shops that intend to participate in the sale need to obtain a permit from the Supply and Internal Trade Directorates beforehand, he said, adding any shop owner could obtain the permit in no more than 15 minutes, either by himself or through a representative.

“The shop owners need the sale just as the consumers, in order to sell the goods they have,” Kamal said, advising the consumers to request the sale invoice proving the purchase of the item from the shop participating in the sale.

The Consumer Protection Agency has established the hotline 19588 to receive complaints from citizens who have seen fake discounts or goods that do not conform to standard specifications, he said, urging citizens not to tolerate with violators.

According to Dr Souad El-Deeb, head of the Union of Consumer Protection Associations, there are two seasons for discounts each year. The objective is lessen the state of stagnation in the buying and selling process, because customers tend to buy their necessities during sale time due to the difficult economic conditions the world is currently experiencing.

She added in previous press statements that shop owners should know that they do not only achieve material gains during the sale season, but also gain consumer confidence.