Eid shopping gains momentum
Sharif Ahmed
With Eid-ul-Fitr, the largest religious festival of the country, just days away, shopping is going on in full swing as people crowd city markets to buy gifts for friends and family.
While visiting shopping malls, this correspondent found salespersons running to and fro to serve customers, as sales have gone up at the end of the second week of Ramadan.
Shops with a good collection of trendy and fashionable dresses have done brisk business during this period.
Morsalin Bithun, proprietor and designer of Kapoor-E-Bangla, said: Koti has made a comeback after many years. This years trend is light colour on cotton. The garments are unisex, so both men and women can wear them.
While describing the latest trend, Bithun said: For women, long koti-style kameez is the latest trend. Its price starts from Tk. 1,100 to Tk. 1,500.
The sale of koti has almost doubled from last week. Ive sold as many as 1,200 pieces so far. The maximum price of long koti-style kameez, however, is Tk. 10,000 to 15,000, he added.
This years Eid-ul-Fitr is a bit special for us because of summer. Were focusing more on linen and cotton dresses, as customers find them comfortable, Ahmed Bithun, owner of Kapoor-e-Bangla Mursalin, told The Independent.
Mens wear comprises fatua, punjabi and kurtas. The price of fatua ranges from Tk. 500 to Tk. 1,200, punjabi from Tk. 850 to Tk. 1,550, while the price for kurta ranges from Tk. 850 to Tk. 1,150, Bithun said.
Womens wear comprises single kameez and orna. Single kameez is being sold at Tk. 950 to Tk. 1,550, he said. For kids, weve stopped embroidery work because of summer. All clothes are designed with block and print pattern; this is the current trend for kids, he added.
When asked about competition, Bithun told The Independent: Local products are facing stiff competition because fancy and colourful products from neighbouring countries have invaded the market.
As many as 15 per cent value added tax (VAT) on factory rent has increased our cost of production. If the production cost of an item is Tk. 1,000, Ill have to pay Tk. 450 as VAT, he said.
Designers were targeting customers in big cities like Dhaka, Chittagong and Sylhet through their websites. Customers can easily choose products like georgette, cotton and lawn cloth, he added.
Khndokar Jashim, a banker, told The Independent: As its very hot now, I have decided to come to Bashundara Shopping Mall. This mall is fully air-conditioned and its convenient for shopping in summer.
Dazzle Blue, another local prominent fashion house and clothing brand in Bangladesh, showcases unique collection of all types of dresses for men, women and kids for Eid-ul- Fitr. Its owner and founder, Sharifa Akhtar Kona, said gowns for kids and women were the latest trend this time. The price ranged from Tk. 1,800 to Tk. 8,000, she added.
Georgette, cotton, olive, brown, silk, long tops and lawn cloth are the preferred fabrics for women. The main shopping centres are literally glittering with salwar-kameez sets for women and punjabi-pajama sets for men.
Kona that Indian and Chinese collections have invaded local markets, posing challenges for local entrepreneurs. Our labout cost is high thanks to the scarcity of skilled craftsmen. This has always been a problem for us, she added.
The designer-entrepreneur of Bibiana, Lipi Khandaker, said: Long kameezes are setting the trend this year. However, there will still be demand for traditional short kameezes as they go with jeans or cotton trousers.
Customers always prefer bright colours in the festival. Magenta, yellow, blue and green are usually preferred. Cotton is the chosen fabric this year. Muslin, andi cotton and half-silk are also quite popular, she added.
Fashion designers have changed the patterns and designs of their products this year to lure shoppers, she noted.
