Brand retailers, shopping malls start pulling crowd as Eid approaches

Highlights:

• Many shoppers opt to undertake Eid shopping well in advance
• Some are also buying attires for Bengali New Year as well
• Traders anticipate even higher sales leading up to Eid

With Eid-ul-Fitr almost two weeks away, several shopping malls in the capital, particularly those housing branded clothing retailers, have begun attracting a significant number of Eid shoppers.

Traders reported a notable increase in demand from visitors for matching clothing designs for all family members in celebration of Eid.

Besides, many of the shoppers opted to undertake Eid shopping well in advance to avoid the usual crowds at markets that occur prior to the festival. 

During a visit to several shopping malls in various areas of the capital yesterday, this correspondent saw an increased crowd of Eid shoppers.  

Visiting the Bashundhara City Shopping Complex in Panthapath, it was observed that the branded retailers Yellow, Gentle Park, Aarong, Twelve Clothing and Mbrella had long lines of customers at the cash counters to complete their transactions.

Photo: Rajib Dhar

A shopper, Mohammad Abdullah told The Business Standard that he often chooses to buy branded clothing, citing the quality of the products as a key reason. "Moreover, those who hold a membership with the brand can enjoy various discounts."

Proprietor of the fashion house Anjan's, Shahin Ahmmed, told TBS that if the ongoing sales trend persists, they can anticipate even higher sales leading up to Eid. "Sales are progressing positively as they did last year."

"Given that Eid precedes Baishakh [Bengali New Year], we have tailored our products to align with the weather typical of the season," he added.

Shahin further said this time, the use of embroidery designs on white fabric has risen to prominence in panjabi and salwar.

Khalid Mahmud Khan, entrepreneur of fashion brand Kay Kraft and senior vice president of the Fashion Entrepreneurs Association of Bangladesh, told TBS that in previous Ramadans, the influx of shoppers was significantly higher during the holidays. "We expect that there will be such crowds of shoppers every day in the coming weeks."

Photo: Rajib Dhar

There has been a growing demand for matching clothing designs for families or groups, he said.

Also, with Pahela Baishakh coming after Eid, some people are also buying attires for the Bengali New Year as well.

However, Biplob Saha, founder of fashion house Bishwo Rang, told TBS that this year's sales are slightly lower compared to last year. "The overall situation in the country has affected our sales."

Bishwo Rang's Eid collection features a diverse selection of items, incorporating various techniques such as screen printing, block printing, digital printing, machine embroidery, computer embroidery, and hand embroidery, among other design methods.

The outlet also offers attractive sarees priced between Tk1,000 and Tk1,500.