If you haven't then now is a good time, writes Niveen Wahish. Winter sales began last week and are scheduled to continue until mid-March. And many of the best discounts are to be found on clothes, especially women's wear, with cuts ranging from 20 to 50 per cent. Consumer goods carry less dramatic discounts, usually around five per cent, while household items such as bed-linen, blankets, table and kitchenware may be had for up to 15 per cent less than normal. The best places to shop are downtown Cairo and Roxy Square in Heliopolis.
Children are less fortunate, with very few shops discounting children's clothing.
The few which have, though, were crammed with customers last weekend. Maha Youssef, a university student, adopts the same approach. I buy a couple of out-fits during the discount season to last until the following year. While some shop-owners are happy with the crowds turning out for the sales, others are less so. In Rifaat Mohsen's shop in Roxy, there were queues outside the changing rooms.