The boycott prompted some Jordanian stores to carry out marketing campaigns and record offers (Al Jazeera)

Amman -

The war on the Gaza Strip, which has entered its sixth month in a row, has cast a shadow on the options and volume of consumption in Jordan with the advent of the holy month of Ramadan, which usually witnesses a high rate of spending compared to the rest of the months of the year, while economic experts expect the rate of spending to decline this year.

The ongoing aggression against the Gaza Strip has been reflected in Jordanian citizens’ consumer choices and aspects of welcoming the holy month. Shop owners interviewed by Al Jazeera Net indicate that there is a general decline in purchasing activity, the most prominent of which is the citizens’ influence on what is happening in the Gaza Strip and their response to the campaign to boycott brands that support Israel.

Big decline in buying

Ahmed Rahal, one of the shop owners in Amman, says that the images of starvation coming from Gaza of children who cannot find food for the day made the Jordanian citizen feel a sense of luxury when he shopped for more than he needed, in addition to a change in his purchasing choices and priorities.

He added to Al Jazeera Net: "The customer enters to buy reluctantly, and the eagerness to prepare for the month of Ramadan is absent. The customer also deals with boycotted products with caution and investigates this carefully," indicating that purchasing power has already weakened.

In turn, Khalil Haj Tawfiq, Chairman of the Jordan Chamber of Commerce, said that a decline of up to 40% was observed in the food sector and large percentages in other sectors as a result of the atmosphere of sympathy and pain, as Jordanians have an emotional connection with what is happening in the Gaza Strip in terms of scenes of genocide and starvation.

He added to Al Jazeera Net that there is a significant decline in the demand for Ramadan dessert ingredients, in addition to the tendency of various companies to refrain from holding the usual Ramadan banquets for customers and partners during the month of fasting and to allocate their amounts to the benefit of Gaza.

Hajj Tawfiq pointed out that "the sight of hungry Gazans is perhaps more painful than the sight of the martyrs, as we believe that the martyr is alive in the paradise of his Creator, while the sight of hungry children and adults puts a pang in the heart that causes a person to feel ashamed and ashamed if he overeats with food and drink."

According to a study, 93% of Jordanians participate in the economic boycott (Al Jazeera)

Boycott

Obaida (35 years old) did not expect that his abstention from shopping from one of the stores that he had frequently frequented in the past due to the boycott’s decision would prompt the marketing department in this store to contact him by phone to inquire about the reason for his absence before the month of Ramadan, as he explained to Al Jazeera Net that the employee who spoke to him tried Changing his convictions regarding the boycott of this international store, which owns a chain of branches in Jordan.

The boycott of products supporting the occupation has moved from a “reaction” space, as was previously the case with every escalation witnessed in Palestinian cities, to a “culture and lifestyle” for the Jordanian citizen, which was reflected in shopping behavior in preparation for the month of Ramadan, according to the popular boycott campaign, “Boycott.”

Abdullah Qaffaf, a member of the campaign, in his speech to Al Jazeera Net, points out the great response by citizens to the boycott during the month of Ramadan, especially by abstaining from some products that were previously an essential part of the Ramadan table in many homes or those that are mainly used in cooking, which is what Prompting some boycott-listed stores to launch unprecedented offers to attract consumers.

Qaffaf also pointed out that the popular campaign monitored that many of the restaurants on the boycott’s lists were empty of customers during the suhoor and iftar periods, which were previously crowded with citizens, which indicates the continuity that prompted international brands to offer their meals at half the original price.

Osama, a date shop owner, says, "The first question we receive from many customers, before asking about quality and price, is the source of these dates and whether they are linked to the Israeli occupation."

In a survey by the Center for Strategic Studies at the University of Jordan in November of last year, the results showed that 93% of Jordanians participate in the economic boycott of occupation and American products, with most turning to locally made national products.

When buying dates, Jordanians investigate their sources (Al Jazeera)

Decorations and celebrations

As the month of Ramadan approached during the previous years, Mahmoud (40 years old), a family head, was quick to choose the latest ideas for decorative electric cords, crescents and lanterns to buy, as is the case with most Jordanian families, as the facades of homes witness a striking carnival image celebrating the month with the advent of Ramadan, which is the case. Which has largely disappeared this year.

Saeed, the owner of a lighting store, told Al Jazeera Net: “In the past, we were not content with filling the stores with Ramadan decoration products, but rather we were setting up tents in front of the store to receive large numbers of people wishing to obtain different types of decorations, which are renewed every year, but this year, the decline has declined.” The demand was so high that we offered the products in small quantities, as requested, and modestly.”

For his part, the head of the Jordan Chamber of Commerce, Khalil Haj Tawfiq, says that the demand for Ramadan decoration products has declined by more than 50% compared to previous years, out of sympathy with Gaza.

Psychological motivation

Firas Al-Habis, professor of psychology at the University of Jordan, analyzes the citizen’s tendency to avoid forms of luxury consumption by saying that there is in psychology what is called “reincarnation.” The citizen embodies the feelings of his brothers and those with whom he has a close emotional bond, among the people of Gaza, the heroes and fighters who worked hard to defend their honor and their land. .

He added, "It is human nature to assume the role of a hero. Even in films and series, he assumes this role. So how about when these heroes are real and have endured and suffered? This impersonation has a major role in adopting their feelings and living as they live as much as possible to feel them, and it is evidence of the harmony of hearts."

He points out that limiting oneself to the basics is due to a person comparing himself with his other brothers who were in the same or better situation and now lack a morsel of bread.

Source: Al Jazeera