The Egyptian protest has left the streets of Cairo in utter turmoil. Banks and government building are closed and guarded by military tanks from unruly protesters and looters alike. Those who have money, flood the remaining open store doors, in hopes of stocking up for future unrest in the city.
According to Bloomberg, many store owners are desperately trying to meet the demands of their customers, but with the ongoing protest and the inevitable looters at night, the process isn’t easy. Bloomberg’s informant Saed Ragab, a café owner from Cairo’s Bab El Louq area, claims: “The shops are at a standstill. It’s very difficult.” Panicked shoppers aim to stockpile in the event of future protests, but supermarkets are hard pressed to meet the demands of their shoppers. Shelves are emptying faster than stock can be put on them. Also, the nightly threat of looters have many store owners closing. Carrefour SA closed all seven of its Egyptian stores after looting at an outlet in a Cairo suburb, a spokesman for the company told Bloomberg.
