Turkish retailers have voiced satisfaction over the sales figures on the eve of Eid al-Fitr, the holiday following Ramadan that begins Tuesday, noting that despite the rainy weather throughout the country, consumers flocked to malls and bazaars to spend money on food and clothing for the nine-day official holiday.

The high demand also forced some retailers to stay open late to give consumers a chance to pick up everything on their holiday shopping lists. Retailers expect a bigger crowd today as it will mark the last day before the holiday. The ready-wear clothing business, which witnessed a slump in sales during most of Ramadan, is pleased with the last-minute surge in consumer spending.

Ekrem Akyiğit, chairman of the board for the Association for United Brands (BMD), said the retail industry has started to see increased activity in sales with the coming of Eid al-Fitr. "Prices in the ready-wear sector have not changed since last year and consumers can take advantage of deeply discounted bargains," he said.

İstanbul Retailers' Association President Turhan Özbahçeci pointed out that sales peaked in the last week and that retailers have seen a considerable increase in revenues compared to last year. According to Özbahçeci, sales in 2008 rose 15 to 20 percent in comparison to the same period last year and sales before holidays have increased by 70 percent compared to those on other days of the year. Özbahçeci expects sales on the eve of the holiday to climb by 200 percent over a regular shopping day.

The most sought-after goods are confectionery items and sweets as it is customary for Turkish families to offer sweets and desserts to their guests during holidays. Some sweet shops have sold 2,000 kilograms of baklava in a single day. Retailers are looking for extra help during the holiday season to meet the booming demand in sales while extending business hours at the same time. Some stores will stay open during the holiday.

Erdal Tüfekçi, board member of major food retailer Uyum Marketleri, said he noticed increasing demand for food starting in the second week of Ramadan. Tüfekçi also noted that the market has not felt the impact of the global liquidity squeeze and financial crisis yet, but that the data obtained after the holiday season will reveal the real effects of the crisis.

The CNR Expo center in İstanbul also hosted an Eid al-Fitr holiday fair to offer many retailers a chance to offer their goods to motivated consumers under a single roof. Organizers of the fair are happy with the interest from shoppers, who mainly visited the fair for bargain hunting. Şeref Serbest, one retailer who had a booth at the fair, said he was pleased with the increased business he has seen this year. "I made more profit this year despite the fact we slashed prices by 50 percent," he added.

Yasemin Aksoy of Kent Gıda is also among those who are cheerful over the sales figures. "We are expecting to double our revenue on the last day of shopping," she said.

However, not everyone is happy with sales. In particular, store owners at malls have complained about soaring costs to maintain and operate their shops. Pierre Cardin Carousel store manager Murat Başoğlu said his store's operating costs have increased 40 percent while sales remained about the same. Merchants at the Bakırköy public bazaar also complained about rising costs in electricity, labor and lease rates.

The long holiday this year benefited bus operators as many have chosen bus lines to travel to their destinations in Turkey. To meet increasing demand, some bus operators have added extra trips on popular routes.

Turkish Fleet Operators' Federation (TOFED) General Secretary Mevlüt İlgin stated that during the holiday 20,000 buses will carry 1 million people a day. According to İlgin, in a normal day 12,000 buses take the road in Turkey carrying around 400,000 passengers.

İlgin warned against opportunists who wanted to take advantage of consumers by offering black market tickets at high prices. He also cautioned against bus operators who work without licenses during the holiday season to exploit passengers. "Consumers should buy their tickets at agencies located in the bus terminals or through authorized agencies," he suggested.

Todays Zaman