Eid market in a frenzy

A shop arrayed with garments of latest design at Amin Centre. PHOTO: STAR

All the shopping malls, arcades and markets have been bustling from morning to late in the night. While markets are in a frenzy, the buyers and sellers have expressed mixed reaction blaming price hike of essentials which they said will dent to some extent their Eid festivity.

The middle or lower middle class people have cut down their budget due to financial constraint while the affluent have nearly completed shopping.

Customers usually throng the posh shopping malls -- New Market (Bipani Bitan), Amin Centre, Reazuddin Bazar, Chittagong Shopping Complex, Central Plaza, Mimi Super Market, Apollo Shopping Centre, Lucky Plaza, VIP Tower, Southland Centre, Chwak View, Terri Bazar and Singapore-Bangkok Market.

Jahur Hawker Market, however, remains the most popular outlet for the lower middle class and the poor.

Most of the markets have announced attractive prizes, discounts or gifts with their items. They have come up with the latest collection of readymade garments, shoes, ornaments and gifts. The foreign brands have also drawn attention of the customers.

Sarees are in top demand for the female customers while Punjabis for the male. Indian sarees have great demand.

Mayabee, a saree shop at Amin Centre, has brought collections of cotton, georgette, chiffon and silk with prices varying between Tk 1500 and Tk 90,000. Their special item is "Condolitza Art" from Mumbai priced at Tk 80,000. They already sold a few pieces. They have also imported other varieties from Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore and Surat. An Italian Craft named Sonia, an Italian brand, is available here at Tk 28,000.

Md Osman Gani, proprietor of "Mayabee" said, "The selling is good but not better than the last year."

A similar picture is seen at Odud Fashion, famous saree shop at New Market. Here customers can get "Chiffon's Karchupi" with Nalputhi at Tk 18,000, Italian Silk with stonework from Tk 5,000 to Tk 35,000. Vaired types of Kashmiri Lehenga like Fancy are also found here. Fancy is priced at Tk1,20,000.

"Nilachal", a shop at Reazuddin Bazar, has showcased different types of sarees varying Tk 500 to Tk 9,000. Other well-known saree shops like Chirikot and Silk Paradise have a wide range of collection.

Salwar Kameej, named after Indian films such as Bunty aur Babli or Veer-Zaraa or produced following the TV channel Stars, have become the craze among the girls.

The sellers of "Sat Rang", a shop exclusively for three-piece at Amin Centre, said they have good collection of three-pieces of multi-designs. The customers can pick various designs like Rup Rekha from Rajsthan, Biscoss, Nandini, Bizwalla and Bunty aur Babli. A piece of Rup Rekha costs Tk 3,000 to Tk 8,000 while Nandini Tk 4,200 to Tk 5,600 and Bunty aur Bably Tk 3,800 to Tk 7,000.

GM Hasan of "Sat Rang" said they have sold 800 pieces of Bunty aur Babli so far. "We can't make good profit this year due to prices hike of items." He blamed the devaluation of taka for the price hike.

Amir Abbas, a banker, bought two pieces of Bunty aur Babli-brand Kameezes for her daughters. "I have bought these to satisfy my daughters' demand which cost much more than 2004. I have to curtail my budget to adjust with other expenditures."

Tasmina Khatun, a schoolteacher at Amin Centre, said "Though the quality of the sarees here is good but I will not buy those due to higher price."

"Paristhan", a one-stop shop at Reazuddin Bazar, has showcased attractive Punjabis. Here, Indian brand of ND Punjabi ranges Tk 1,000 to Tk 5,000 and Classics Tk 900 to Tk 8,500. Rajshahi Silk Punjabis are priced at Tk 800 to Tk 1,600, ND Silk Tk 800 to Tk 1,200 and Cotton Tk 250 and Tk 2,000.

Some posh outlets such as Revlon, Menz Klub, Ruby Red and Khakki also have nice collections for gents. Revlon at New Market brought a new brand of shirt named "SMS Shirt" priced from Tk 600 to Tk 700. The lowest price for trousers here is Tk 700.

Revlon Manager Mohammed Jahangir said about 600 pieces of SMS Shirt were sold during Durga Puja and their target for Eid is 2,000 pieces.

Shirts, both casual and formal, can be found at Cats Eye and Menz Klub from Tk 600 to Tk 900.

The shoppers prefer Apex for quality shoes and Bata for durability.

Thousands of buyers from lower middle class and lower class such as garment workers, nurses, restaurant workers, rickshawpullers, helpers and conductors of buses or tempos, domestic helps, peons or guards have not paid much attention to this frenzy. They, however, are busy shopping at makeshift markets on footpaths around the city.