Looking for latest fashion? Shop right in Dodoma

Dodoma. With just a year since the government announced it was officially, and in earnest, moving the country’s capital city to Dodoma, the region has already experienced a major transformation in the outfit’s businesses sector, The Citizen has learned.

This, is due to the advent of some of the country’s legendary clothing stores to extend their investment foothold in the region with high-classic outfits, at a wake of increasing population and expected economic growth in the semi-arid capital city.

For decades, most of Dodoma’s well-to-do families used to travel to Dar es Salaam in search for standard garments while the remaining majorities used to depend on cheap second-hand clothes.

“I opened this shop sometimes in April this year due to the government relocation in Dodoma. Formerly, I used to operate in Dar es Salaam and Morogoro where I also have large clothing stores,” said Aboulhamidi Siraja, a proprietor of Kobe Fashion shops.

According to him, the large shop opened within Dodoma’s famous One-Way shopping streets at a cost of Sh50million, is keep on receiving a good number of mixed customers, though some fail to afford the high prices.

“The high -priced shoe in my shop go for Sh150, 000 while the lowest stands at Sh30, 000. However, in overcoming the price challenge I am trying to bring some outfits for generic customers,” he added.

A survey by The Citizen in various areas within Dodoma municipality witnessed mushrooming of numerous standard clothing stores, although still with minimal customers, obvious due to high-prices.

“We are happy that now we have many high-class outfit stores in town where one can get international brands but we are grappling with economic incapacity to afford such eye-catching clothes,” said Ramadhan Hassan, residents in Dodoma.

However, second-hand clothes’ dealers have never lagged behind since they still enjoy huge number of customers. At Sabasaba market, famous for selling used clothes ‘mitumba’ the traders have advanced their products in order to cater for new customer’s faces in the region.

“The business has gone up since the government relocated here and contrary to former days, we are currently selling first-class clothes to suit demand by our new customers,” said Abney Kitemba, a second hand clothes seller at Sabasaba market.

A randomly survey at the market has noted that prices for the secondhand clothes have ascended to the high extent, making a thin difference from the shop ones. “Trousers here now go for between Sh20, 000 to Sh25, 000 while men’s shoes stands from Sh40, 000 to Sh120, 000,” Kitemba revealed, added that women’s outfits seem to be at lower prices that of men.

However, there is a public outcry over high prices charges for children’s outfits in the municipality. “It’s unaffordable and confusing, children’s outfits are marketed at high prices compared to adult’s ones, I don’t know why,” lamented Oliver Stanley, a residents of Dodoma