Online Desk  :  Sales at pavements and makeshift shops on roads have surged in the capital as low-income people crowd these pavement shops to buy affordable clothing and accessories at cheaper rates after getting their Eid bonus. Most of the pavements in Dhaka’s busy areas, including Motijheel, Gulistan, Baitul Mukarram, Farmgate, New Market, Badda and Mirpur, were filled with Eid shoppers on Sunday. Shopkeepers were seen brisking up business around a week ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr. CNG driver Golam Mostafa, who bought a frock for her four-year-old daughter from a pavement shop in front of Gulistan Shopping Complex at Fulbaria, told the Daily Sun, “I will spend the Eid day in Dhaka as earnings will increase during Eid. I will go to my village home after Eid. Therefore, I have bought a beautiful frock for my daughter. She will look like an angel with the dress,” he said.

Mostafa said the price of the frock was beyond his budget but he bought it because he liked it. Shopping at the pavement stalls entails bargaining hassles, but a good number of shops at these places are now selling clothes at fixed prices. Shirt trader Sagar at Farmgate said they never lacked crowd in the commercial area. “Ours is a fixed-price shop. As a result, customers do not need to bargain here. They come and just pick the shirts of their choice,” he said. In front of Sagar’s shop, this correspondent talked to private company marketing executive Tarikul Islam. He said instead of buying fancy panjabis, it is better to buy a few formal shirts. Tarikul said, “I need to wear shirts every day for professional purpose. On the other hand, I hardly wear panjabis. That is why I am taking shirts so that I can ensure the best use of it. And good products are available here at a cheap rate.” Pavement vendors, however, have said that they are not satisfied with the footfalls. They claimed the volume of their sale was much less than before.

According to them, people do not have enough money in their hands due to rising commodity prices. They also blamed the mushrooming of clothing outlets in different neighbourhoods for their lack of business. Bulbul Ansari, a shoe hawker in front of Globe Shopping Mall on Mirpur Road, said, “Compared to other years, sale this time are much less. Low-income people have been struggling to survive. Earlier, they used to buy Eid dresses and shoes for all members of their family but now they are purchasing things only for children and elderly members.” Different designs of colourful clothes for children of all ages were available at the makeshift shop of Hafizur Rahman but he said his sales have reduced compared to earlier Eids.

“On an average this year I am selling products worth Tk8,000 to Tk10,000 everyday as against Tk20,000 to Tk25,000 I used to sale in other Eid seasons,” he said. Similar was the reaction of Arfan Mia who regularly hawks belts and moneybags in front of Baitul Mukarram National Mosque. “The customers are coming, the sales are good but we cannot meet the targets,” he said. He, however, said the sales were increasing every day. At the pavement shops, three-piece women’s suits are sold at Tk350 and Tk800, children’s wear between Tk100 and Tk350, and panjabi from Tk200 to Tk400. Men’s shirts and trousers cost Tk120 and Tk400 respectively.