Small & Medium businesses are feared to get a big blow from Dragon Mart
Dragon Mart is about to open in Doha for which their stocking is currently going on, on the main Abu Hamour Road (Barwa Shopping Avenue).
It is a huge mega market offering all kinds of Chinese products direct from the factory.
On the other hand, most of existing small & medium businesses (numbering in hundreds and thousands) are reliant on imported Chinese products that they have been selling in the local market, they are set to get a very big hit on their sales, because they do not have enough muscle to compete with giant Dragon Mart, whose staff is expected to exceed 3,000.
The market may witness another exodus of small traders once again.
The sad reality is that the small local traders are increasingly becoming irrelevant for the consumer needs in Qatar.
People would rather buy furniture at Ikea rather than in small local shops offering products of unknown origin and questionable quality.
The government cannot really do anything to help the foreign businessmen. As Brit says it may well just be time for them to find another country to live in - such is the peril of being an expat in another country. When the times get tough the only answer is to find a new business or a new country.
Such is the way of things. Amazon and Walmart for example. Perhaps the time is rife for the small businesses to shut shop and go home.
Put a big fish in the pond where thousands of small fish are living on a small feed and see the result. The existing malls are different than the Dragon Mart.
Why did you think they were building the Barwa Commercial Avenue, if it wasn't for selling things?
Are you also upset about the growing number of Carrefour, Al Meera and Monoprix grocery stores competing with neighborhood corner stores?