Prices to rise as shop rentals skyrocket

Shop rentals at certain malls have risen by 200 percent, with this cost likely to be passed on to the consumer, the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI) said here recently. 

Muhammad Al-Shehri, chairman of the JCCI’s textiles and garments committee, has appealed to consumer protection officials at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry to intervene and place an annual cap on increases.
“Mall owners have raised shop rents by 100 to 200 percent after only a year, taking advantage of the difficulties tenants face to leave after spending money on stock and other items,” he said.

He said traders are facing many challenges, including the Labor Ministry’s decision to feminize women’s clothing stores. It was difficult to find trained Saudi women to take up these positions and deal with the working hours, he said.
Meanwhile, Al-Shehri said the committee plans to publish a magazine that would showcase design changes to the thobe and abaya over the years, in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture and Information.