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Al-Ahram Weekly On-line 21 - 27 September 2000 Issue No. 500 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly On-line 21 - 27 September 2000 Issue No. 500
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Elections Development Region International Economy Opinion Culture Features Special Travel Living Sports Profile People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters Back to school
By Eman YoussefInaugurated by Prime Minister Atef Ebeid, the fair was organised by the Ministry of Supply and Internal Trade, the federations of industry and chambers of commerce and the Ministry of Local Development. Having been extended for two days beyond its original duration, the fair which was free for visitors, offered a great opportunity for consumers and vendors alike.
Mohamed El-Said Saleh, chairman of the General Organisation for International Exhibitions and Fairs (GOIEF), said that "within the first two days 500,000 people visited the fair." But consumers were not the only beneficiaries. Speaking during the fair Saleh said, "Two hundred companies from both the private and public sectors are participating in the exhibition, offering everything a student requires, including leather goods, food, uniforms and computers."
Explaining the purpose of the fair, which organisers hope will be held again next year, Saleh said, "The aim of the exhibition is to meet the needs [for school supplies] of people with limited incomes by offering them high quality goods at low prices."
The Exhibition was crouded by families seeking school supplies at low prices
For its part, the Ministry of Local Development was offering computers for sale under an instalment plan with monthly payments of LE60 over a period of 36 months. Some 14,000 uniforms donated by a group of businessmen were given away to students for free and, according to Saleh, the average discount on goods at the fair was 50 per cent.
Consumers seemed enthusiastic about the deals offered at the fair. "The exhibition is a very good chance for parents, especially during this period before schools open their doors to students, for us to find the items we need in one place and at low prices," said Madiha Salem, mother of two. Praising the impact of competition on prices, Taha Ibrahim, who visited the fair numerous times, said that prices decreased over the course of the event.
Vendors, too, viewed the event as a success. Among these were youths from governorates outside the Cairo area who were exempted from display fees. For the majority of vendors renting booths, these fees were more than recouped through brisk sales. Leather vendor Hamed Fathi, who sold school bags and shoes at the fair said it was a good opportunity to clear remaining stock before the winter. Others, such as Saleh Reda, owner of a stationery shop, were pleased by the large number of customers at the fair.
