Enab Baladi – Ras al-Ain

Buying used items is a primary option for many families in the city of Ras al-Ain, northwestern al-Hasakah, which seeks to meet its needs at the lowest possible costs.

The matter is not limited to used clothing that sees a surge in demand during winter; used household goods markets are also widespread in the city, which has a population of 115,000.

According to Enab Baladi‘s monitoring, the price of pants is 70,000 Syrian pounds ($4.5), and the sweater is 60,000 pounds, while the price of new items exceeds 200,000 pounds.

As for a used refrigerator in moderate condition, its price is 1.5 million Syrian pounds, compared to the new one which reaches 9.5 million pounds.

Prices for used household items, such as plates and pots, start at 5,000 pounds and can go up to a maximum of 50,000 pounds (one dollar equals 15,500 Syrian pounds).

A destination for low-income earners

Farida al-Murad (35 years old) wanders through the used clothing market in Ras al-Ain, searching for good quality winter clothes for her three children.

The woman works in a sewing workshop with a monthly salary of one million Syrian pounds (equivalent to $66), which, as she said, is not enough to buy new clothes due to their high prices.

She mentioned that she has come to prefer buying used items, even for tools, due to the good quality and reasonable prices provided by markets compared to new ones.

After his refrigerator broke down, Ismail al-Jaraf (54 years old) found himself in a dilemma about how to buy a new refrigerator, especially with the significant increase in the prices of new appliances.

Al-Jaraf found his solution when he came across a used refrigerator in one of the WhatsApp groups priced at one million pounds and in acceptable condition, so he decided to buy it immediately.

Prices are considered “acceptable” according to families interviewed by Enab Baladi, where daily wages for workers range between 80,000 and 100,000 Syrian pounds (about $6.5).

A doubling in the number of shops

According to Enab Baladi‘s reporter, the prices of used items have decreased by 40% compared to 2023, due to the increase in the number of shops selling used goods and clothing, rising from 8 to 40 shops.

Majed al-Hassan, the owner of a used goods store, told Enab Baladi that the high demand for used items in Ras al-Ain is due to the weak financial capacity of the residents.

He explained that the competition between stores and the increase in their number led to a noticeable decrease in prices, especially in the clothing sector.

He added that sales improved this year by 50% compared to 2023, due to the drop in prices.

Local council provides facilities

The spokesperson for the local council, Ziad Malaki, told Enab Baladi that the council has provided numerous facilities to traders in Ras al-Ain since mid-2023 until this December, including reducing the annual fees for used clothing stores from 170,000 to 85,000 Syrian pounds (the fees are paid in Turkish lira and equal to 200 Turkish lira).

He clarified that the number of traders who obtained trade permission to enter Turkey increased from 75 to 150 traders since mid-2023, including two women.

He added that these procedures aim to alleviate market monopolization, especially in the trade of used items, where the number of used goods traders has increased from 6 to 34 people.

He mentioned that the council is committed to providing more facilities in the coming period to support trade and economic activity in the region.

The Syrian pound, the locally used currency, is experiencing price fluctuations, and the Turkish lira is considered the second currency (not widely used) due to the city’s proximity to the Turkish border, while the third is the US dollar.

During the first week of December, traders in Ras al-Ain rejected dealing in the Syrian pound due to its declining value, and they started calculating the exchange rate with a larger discrepancy than specified, avoiding losses.