UAE | General
UAE residents forced to change shopping habits
Spiralling cost of living is forcing people to change their shopping habits, say Gulf News readers.
- By Huda Tabrez, Community Journalist
- Published: 23:18 July 12, 2008
- Omar Al Busaidy says he has made an effort to cut down on shopping for clothes.
- Image Credit: Supplied Picture
Dubai: Spiralling cost of living is forcing people to change their shopping habits, say Gulf News readers.
"The rise ... has been drastic and unfortunately the salaries are not increasing at the same rate," said Shamsah Nawaz Hasan, a Singaporean expatriate based in Abu Dhabi.
She has noticed a marked rise in the prices of all essential food items at hypermarkets.
"Sometimes I do find a special section ... with reduced prices, but it isn't stocked with essentials. Rather it would be biscuits, tea and other non-essentials." The increasing prices have forced the 46-year-old banker and her husband to budget their lifestyle and eating habits.
"We used to eat out quite often. Now with the rising costs, we prefer to eat at home. I can also see a big reduction in the amount of snacks and junk food we buy," she said.
This change is reflected by other UAE residents, too, as they have made adjustments to accommodate inflation. "I used to shop quite often for clothes. Now I have made a conscious effort to reduce such expenses, as I feel it pinching my pocket," said Omar Al Busaidy, a 22-year-old Emirati living in Dubai.
"I have started monitoring my daily expenditure with the cost of every item increasing unreasonably."
Several residents have started budgeting more often for essential and expenditure.
"We prefer to divide our budget into essentials like food, electricity and water bills as well as clothes and other necessary items," said Ana Leah Mejia-Rivera, a Filipina living in Dubai.
"I would prefer to shop at a place which gives basic food items at a price lower to other supermarkets, because we have to limit our spending," she said. The Union Cooperative hypermarket chain seems to be offering some solace to cost-burdened consumers.
"We ... prefer to buy our staples from Union Cooperative as the prices are cheaper," Al Busaidy said.
But there are those who do not seem to be impacted by the cost of living.
"I still prefer to shop at places that are convenient and close to my residence," said Deepali Tulpule, a 32-year-old Indian expatriate.
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