Baghdad
- Iraqis are keen to receive a special reception for the holy month of Ramadan, which includes decorating the house with lanterns, crescents and decorative lights a few days before the holy month.
With Ramadan approaching, citizens with limited income face a problem in preparing to receive this month and preparing the Ramadan table, especially after the significant increase in food prices.
Saleh considered that the shopping movement for this year is witnessing a noticeable decline compared to the previous years (Al-Jazeera).
shopping retreat
In his speech to Al Jazeera Net, Abdel Fattah Saleh, director of operations for the "Waffer" group for foodstuffs and consumer goods, said that this year's shopping movement is witnessing a noticeable decline compared to previous years.
Saleh pointed out that the situation in the past was better than the current one, due to the high prices and the unavailability of several types of goods.
Saleh indicated that the rise in prices caused a decline in the shopping movement despite the approach of Ramadan, pointing out that the Russian war on Ukraine affected the prices of basic foodstuffs such as wheat and oil, which Russia and Ukraine are among the largest exporters of these main food products.
"Waffer" markets equipped their stores with various goods (Al-Jazeera)
He added that although the group is keen on providing foodstuffs at competitive prices, in addition to providing food baskets for people with limited income, the shopping movement in all Waffer branches is witnessing a significant weakness.
Lanterns and crescents in a market in Baghdad (Al-Jazeera)
Ramadan decorations
Ladies are keen to add joy and celebrate the coming of Ramadan, by hanging lanterns, decorative lights, and others.
Hassan Faleh, sales official at At Home in Baghdad, says that the demand for Ramadan decorations and lanterns is better than last year due to the reduction in the prices of their products to suit the citizen's income, as the sale includes lanterns and crescents, in addition to decorative lights and dishes of a heritage character.
Aya is shopping in preparation for Ramadan from a store (Al-Jazeera)
While she is shopping for the month of Ramadan, Aya Muhammad (an employee) said that she is keen every year to do Ramadan shopping by buying all the food and sweets, in addition to the household equipment such as lighting and lanterns, but the high prices negatively affected her Ramadan basket, as she was satisfied with the basic foodstuffs only.
As for Younis Muhammad (a taxi driver), he says that the market movement this year is remarkably stagnant, attributing the matter to the rise in the price of the dollar against the dinar (the local currency) in addition to the turbulent political situation.
A sweet shop offering baklava (Al Jazeera)
baklava and dumplings
Baklava and dumplings are at the forefront of Iraqis’ hearts during Ramadan because of their delicious taste and distinguish them from other sweets, so that almost no Iraqi breakfast table is devoid of them, along with other types of sweets.
Speaking to Al-Jazeera Net, Mosaddeq Al-Kurmanji (owner of Abu Rafel Sweets Shops), said: From the first day of the opening, we have put the slogan "good product and appropriate prices."
His chain of stores is witnessing a great demand for sweets, especially baklava and dumplings, days before Ramadan and then continues until the end of the holy month.
Al-Kurmanji considered that the difficult political conditions that Iraq is going through affected the purchase movement (Al-Jazeera)
Al-Kurmanji considered that the difficult political conditions that Iraq is going through affected the purchase movement, although his stores are keen to keep the prices of sweets without increasing, adding that the shopper may dispense with ready-made sweets by making them at home.