Morocco’s Traditional Clothing Rental Crisis: Cultural Heritage at Risk as Customers Neglect Cherished Attire

"We treat customers in good faith and grant them complete trust, sometimes even without asking for their national identity card, because we believe that mutual respect is the basis of any successful business relationship. But unfortunately, some return the clothes in a very degraded state, visibly torn and holed, without taking any responsibility or offering compensation for the damage," denounces a owner of a traditional clothing rental shop to Al3omk.

And to add: "Traditional clothes are not just clothes that we offer to customers, they are part of our identity and our culture. We take care of them so that they reach them in the best possible condition, and all we ask is that they return them to us with the same respect. We understand minor damage, but total negligence or contempt cannot be tolerated." The store owner also called on customers to be more responsible and to take care of the rented clothes. She did not fail to thank the customers who return the rented items in good condition, clean and well folded, inviting the other customers to follow their example.

The president of the Moroccan Center for Human Rights, for his part, recalled that the customer has the obligation to return the rented clothes in the same condition and within the agreed time frame, and that failure to comply with this commitment constitutes an infringement of the merchant’s rights. The official also stressed the merchant’s right to demand a deposit from the customer in case of deterioration of the clothes, calling for the establishment of a specialized body to settle these disputes.