During the month, Muslims fast, abstaining from food and drink, from dawn until sunset, during which time we’ll also engage in extra acts of worship, including increased charity, prayers, and visiting the sick. Each day, Muslims break their fast at sunset with family and friends over large meals, and attend evening prayers that last late into the night. The end of Ramadan is marked by a huge celebration called Eid, where we dress up and gather for an early morning service followed by a full day of socializing, eating, and gift exchanging.Despite this rich and complex tradition, brands have relied mostly on limited market research which has lead them to believe that Muslim spending is concentrated in the Middle East where Muslims spend their Ramadan evenings shopping in malls . Brands are only targeting these populations because they have been lured by the $489 billion spending power a State of the Global Islamic Economy 2014-2015 report commissioned by Thomson Reuters and Dinar Standard estimates Muslims across the globe will have by 2019. What’s puzzling is, why go after a foreign market with customers you don’t understand and who have constant access to modest clothing, while ignoring the estimated $100 billion market in the west — a market these brands are more familiar with who have very limited access to modest clothing? With many retailers struggling with poor earnings , targeting an underserved market in their own backyard should be a given.