The Emirates Consumers Association confirmed that during recent market inspections, it observed a rise in consumer awareness, which contributed to a decline in some negative practices related to excessive purchasing of goods. In a statement to «Emirates Today», the association also reported that during monitoring of fruit and vegetable markets, prices for some items have decreased, with a wider variety of products available. It noted that since the beginning of Ramadan, the association has conducted over 15 market inspections and will continue its field visits until the Eid al-Fitr period. Mohammed Naavur, Secretary-General of the Emirates Consumers Association, stated: «During our field inspections in markets, we observed an increase in consumer literacy among many shoppers, which helped reduce some previous negative practices compared to observations in the first half of Ramadan, when some consumers bought large quantities of goods, including discounted items, without valid reasons». He added: «The heightened awareness among consumers about avoiding over-purchasing or hoarding goods is a positive indicator recently seen in markets, reflecting consumers' trust in the continuity of offers and the abundance of goods in large quantities». Naavur confirmed that the «Emirates Consumers Association» will continue to work on increasing consumer awareness through various means and its field visits. He continued: «The association observed during its latest inspection on Thursday evening in Sharjah markets a large variety and abundance of goods, as well as vegetables and fruits at varying prices». He also revealed that «the association also noted a decrease in prices for some vegetable varieties, with increased offers on them and on food items in some outlets, along with the availability of additional imported varieties from neighboring countries like Oman and Saudi Arabia, which boosted the quantity and diversity of products in the market». He pointed out that «markets naturally show price variations for some goods and vegetable types in different outlets, which requires consumers to take advantage of this variation by comparing prices before purchasing and choosing the most suitable offers». Naavur said: «The association called on consumers to report any observed violations through official channels and not to accept any price hikes, as there is no justification for them given the abundance of supply, and to keep purchase receipts».
