Samirh Bint Zulfiqur

Once again it is that time of the year when shopping malls and various clothes and accessories stores become the permanent destination for majority of the Eid shoppers as they seek to purchase the best attires for Eid festivities. The holy month of Ramzan epitomizes moderation and self control but when it comes to shopping, the Dhakaites seem to be in no mood to restrain their wishes. Be it the young, the old or the tiny tots, during this time of the year, everyone gets out their wish lists and looks forward to visiting the clothing stores to get their Eid shopping underway. The city comes to life as the malls and the streets get busy while the Dhakaites keep on shopping during Ramzan. There is no time-limit to their shopping, be it morning, evening, afternoon, before iftar or midnight. Whether we love it or hate it, we just cannot ignore this shopping euphoria that seizes the people of Dhaka during Ramzan. In addition to buying clothes for oneself, there are clothes and accessories to be bought for family and loved ones as Eid gifts. But you need some tips before going to buy something. Here are few ideas and tips for the shoppers in this Eid.  
1.    If you are not expert in bargaining, then buying your Eid clothes from a popular boutique house won’t be a bad idea. You can purchase quality punjabi, salwar kameez, lehenga from Anjans, Kay Kraft, Aarong, Shada Kalo, Nittyaupohar and many other popular boutique houses. Moreover at Bashundhara city’s Deshi Dosh, you will find all the top 10 deshi boutique houses under one roof. Aziz Super Market located at Shahbagh is one of the best places where you can get a wide range of Punjabis. The prices are fixed at these shops and hence you will not be cheated!

2.  Shop with a list- This is greatly helpful as it saves you from buying unnecessary things and prevents overspending.

3.  Always set a budget – In order to feel completely satisfied with your shopping trip, it is very helpful if you don’t feel guilty of exceeding your budget. Knowing you got your items at your desired budget is important.

4.    Pick the best time for you. If you don’t shop at a time that works well for you, shopping can be a fatiguing and stressful activity. Avoid shopping when the malls and stores are most busy (such as late night shopping and Saturday mornings) as it can lead to shopping fatigue where you end up restless and irritable – not a state in which smart shopping usually takes place.

5.    Remember that the sales person’s job is to sell to you! No matter how charming and helpful they are, sales people aren’t there to be our friends. Even though they may engage in friendly behaviour, but their purpose is singular: to sell you something. Be mindful of this so that you only buy items you need and will use – not because an effective sales person talked you into it.

6.    Don’t feel shy to bargain at a glitzy shopping mall. Except a few deshi popular clothing shops, majority of the shops pretend to be ‘fixed price’ shops although you can buy products at half or even much lower than the asking prices at these shops!

7.    Don’t buy anything impulsively. It is best to take a look around different shops to see available items and their prices as it helps to compare and make an informed choice.

8.    Make sure you try on your clothes to see if they fit and before making payment, check for defects. This will save you from a lot of hassle later on that may come with going back to make an exchange of the purchased item.