RAKHYOUT: Some home-based businesses at Shaat Viewpoint are sharing individual display tables as the number of families seeking access to the seasonal market exceeds the space currently available, according to a participating vendor.
During a field visit by the Observer on Wednesday, producers were displaying food, incense, handicrafts and other locally made goods in a temporary tent positioned beside a row of newly installed kiosks.
A participant said the temporary arrangement had helped accommodate more producers, but the available display area remained insufficient in some cases.
She said two families sometimes shared a single table, while other registered producers were still waiting for an opportunity to participate.
“We thank the relevant authorities for giving productive families this opportunity,” she told the Observer. “We hope the space can be expanded to accommodate more families, especially as there are registered applicants seeking a place.” The market is organised by the Governor’s Office in the wilayat and provides home-based producers with direct access to visitors travelling to Shaat, one of the main mountain attractions in western Dhofar.
The participant welcomed the addition of the new kiosks and the temporary tent, saying they had created an important outlet for households that produce goods from home and do not operate permanent retail premises.
However, she said the need for two producers to share one table illustrated the pressure on the available space and limited the area each family could use to present its products.
The issue is not simply the physical size of a selling point. Display space can affect how clearly products are presented, how easily customers can move between sellers and how much stock each producer can offer during busy periods.
For home-based producers — commonly referred to in Oman as “productive families” — seasonal markets offer access to customers without the expense of renting and operating a permanent shop.
They also allow small producers to test demand, introduce their goods to new customers and generate income from the rise in visitor activity during the Khareef season.
That opportunity is particularly relevant at Shaat because the viewpoint lies outside Salalah’s main commercial centres.
Providing retail space near the attraction enables a share of visitor spending to reach households and small producers in the surrounding area.
Shaat is located in the Wilayat of Rakhyout on Jabal Al Qamar, west of Salalah. Its views over the Arabian Sea and cloud-covered mountains attract visitors during Khareef, when mist and low cloud transform the surrounding landscape.
The participant said expanding the allocated area would allow more registered families to take part and give existing participants sufficient room to display their products.
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