Thriving business in Karbala’s second-hand market offers deals on fashion

KARBALA, December 9 — At the entrance of the Al-Jamaeia neighborhood in Karbala’s Tuyereej district, a young man in his twenties named Riyadh Al-Nasrawi owns a small shop where he sells imported second-hand clothes and shoes from European and Gulf countries. His store attracts a considerable number of customers eagerly awaiting his updated inventory.

Al-Nasrawi shaed with 964:

We have just received new winter clothes, including coats, jackets, and sweaters from the best European brands, as well as shirts imported from the Gulf, featuring designs tailored for the city’s youth.

We also import globally renowned footwear brands such as Adidas, Nike, Skechers, and FILA.

We purchase goods in bulk from the wholesale market in Al-Kadhimiya, Baghdad. Prices there vary, with each bale [of clothing] having a specific price determined by the quality of the clothes. Prices range from 200,000 to 450,000 Iraqi dinars.

I make sure to buy quality items. My customers come from various backgrounds, including workers, students, and office employees, each with their preferences for specific clothing.

Shoe prices range from 10,000 to 15,000 dinars, with some distinctive pieces sold for 30,000 dinars. The price depends on cleanliness and brand.

Pants are divided into levels, some are sold for 5,000 dinars, others for 10,000 dinars, and the highest quality, often new, reaching up to 15,000 dinars. Shirts and blouses are priced between 3,000 and 5,000 dinars.

Khalil Hussein, a high school student and shopper in the market, said, “These kinds of stores serve as a mall for the less fortunate. We buy from them because the prices are reasonable, and the clothes are good and long-lasting.”

“Some pieces are better than new ones available in the market. There is a significant difference between getting a good pair of pants for 10,000 dinars and a new one for 60,000 dinars,” he added.