Eid shopping at its peak in port city

Female shoppers admire saree at a store at Amin Centre at Lalkhan Bazar Ispahani Intersection area. PHOTO: STAR

All the shopping malls and markets are busy from morning to late in the night. But the buyers and sellers have expressed dissatisfaction over the price hike of different items ranging from apparels to shoes.

The middle or lower middle class people, as a result, are forced to cut down their budget due to financial constraint while the affluent of the society have nearly completed their shopping.

Customers usually throng the posh shopping malls at 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, Chawk View, Terri Bazar, Singapore-Bangkok Market and newly built Sanmar Ocean City at GEC area.

Zahur Hawkers' Market and other makeshift markets are the most popular outlets for the lower middle class and the poor.

Most of the markets have announced attractive prizes, discounts or gifts with their items and 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 as usual.

Saj, a saree shop at Sanmar Ocean City, has showcased different types of sarees, including local ones varying the prices of Tk 300 to Tk 5,000.

Demands for the boutique sarees are very high, said Mohammed Hasan, manager of Saj.

The sellers of "Trisha", a shop for three-piece at Ocean City, said they have good collection of three-pieces of multi-designs. The customers can pick various designs collected from India. The three-prices cost Tk 1,000 to 12,000.

"We are satisfied with the number of customers and profit," said Mohammed Anam, a salesman at the Trisha.

Odud Fashion, a saree shop at New Market, is selling Jardousi designed sarees at Tk 3,000 to Tk 15,000 while Tangail saree at Tk 5,00 to Tk 3,000. Amena Sons, another saree shop, is also selling the same items.

Salesmen are demanding Tk 750 to Tk 5,000 for a piece of normal punjabi for boys and Tk 9,000 to 15,000 for classics while Tk 3,000 to Tk 7,500 for chiffon and georgette punjabis for the females at New Market.

Short shirt and silk shirt for the gents that attracted school, college and university students are being sold at Tk 750 at different shops at New Market.

Reazuddin Bazar is the popular one for the baby cloths where the panjabis are being sold at Tk 200 to Tk 1,500.

Some posh outlets such as Monsoon Rain, Menz Klub, Revlon and Cats Eye also have nice collections for gents.

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

Rabiul Hossain, a government employee, bought two pieces of shirts for his sons from New Market. He said, " Due to price hike of essentials compared to the previous years, I had to curtail my budget."

Afrin Mamtaj, a housewife, said collection of various types of sarees and other items is very nice this year but prices have gone out of our capability.

The buyers from lower middle class and lower class such as day labourers, garment and restaurant workers, rickshawpullers, helpers and conductors of different vehicles, domestic helps, peons or guards are busy with shopping at Zahur Hawkers' Market and other makeshift markets on footpaths in the city.