European used clothing changes competitive landscape in Syrian clothing market

Ready-made clothing stores are witnessing fierce competition in various Syrian urban markets, due to their exceptional appeal to all Syrians, especially women.

During a field visit conducted by the Eqtsad to the markets of Hama and Salamiyah cities, Ahmed, the owner of a new clothing showroom, spoke to us and told us that the pace of competition between stores increases, particularly during the holiday season. Options are plentiful, and customers are always right to choose what suits them.

Ahmed added that reasonable prices are the most important factor in attracting customers in a society where most families live on very modest incomes.

Previously, owners of popular showrooms, the most widespread in Syria, worked to win over their potential customers through this competitive pricing process.

After the liberation, other unforeseen competitive challenges emerged, namely the horizontal spread of used European clothing showrooms and stalls. The observer would imagine that Syrian markets and squares are floating on a raging sea of ​​used clothing displays, weakening the competitiveness of new clothing retailers.

Fatima, 33, is married to a public sector employee and has three children. She says, "The joy of Eid for boys and girls is summed up in adding more clothes to their meager wardrobes."

Fatima adds that she, like others, chose to shop only at secondhand clothing stores during Eid because of the significant price differences. A pair of jeans for a young woman ranges from 100,000 to 250,000 Syrian pounds, while in secondhand stores, the price ranges from 25,000 to 50,000 at best. She can buy them from street stalls for no more than 10,000 Syrian pounds, taking into account the difference in quality between secondhand and new clothes.

Mustafa, a clothing stall owner, attributes the proliferation of European secondhand clothing sellers to the fact that merchants avoided paying customs duties and fees during the former regime. This, he says, was reflected positively after the liberation, as markets opened up to the benefit of the modest pockets of poor citizens.

Mustafa identifies another reason for this expansion: widespread unemployment among heads of households who previously lacked skilled trades. These men used to support their families through their work in the army, police, and government jobs, which they lost after the liberation. Their choice was to trade in used clothing, as it was the easiest way to secure profits to meet their families' living needs, relying on customers who were equally poor, in need, and with the same goals.

By Fateh Kalthoum