Port Said is a designated free trade zone, and shopping is one of the main reasons Egyptians from Cairo and the Delta cities make the trip. Electronics, imported foodstuffs, perfumes, clothing, and household goods are sold here at prices lower than elsewhere in Egypt, with no customs duties applied.
The commercial district around Al Gomhoreya Street is where most of the shopping happens — long streets of shops selling everything from international brand goods to local specialities. For visitors, the interest is less in the goods themselves than in the spectacle of Egyptian consumer culture at its most concentrated. The streets are busy from late morning until well into the evening, and the energy of a busy market day is almost constant.