Fashion brands expect huge Eid sales as Covid fear goes away
DOT Desk: Though Eid is still a month away, shopping centring the festival has already begun as consumers are flocking to fashion outlets to buy lifestyle items, reports The Daily Star.
Retailers have worn a festive look, decorated their shops and introduced new collections as they think shoppers’ sentiments have been positive despite the persisting economic woes. Fashion outlets expect huge sales this season. Shoppers will have to pay extra for their purchases as the price of the clothing items has gone up by 15 to 20 per cent due to the hike in raw material costs.
Industry people say although shoppers flocked to the markets ahead of Eid last year as well, there was some uncertainty and the fear of catching Covid-19. “This is going to be the first Eid since the beginning of the pandemic when customers will feel no worry about the virus. So, we are expecting a great sales season,” said Shaheen Ahmmed, chief executive officer of Anjan’s, one of the top fashion brands with 21 outlets.Anjan’s outlets are selling saris, tops and salwar kameezes for women, panjabi for men and kids’ items. There are handmade ornaments and other products as well.
“Festivals are celebrated in Bangladesh with great fervour, and shopping is an integral part of the festivities. So, people set aside some budget for Eid shopping, no matter what the economic condition is,” Ahmmed said. The positive vibe would come as a relief for shop owners who have fought an uphill battle to stay afloat since the pandemic hit the country three years ago as the outbreak of the lethal pathogen hit sales hard in all four Eid festivals in the first two years. The sales during the season of festivals account for more than a third of lifestyle retail sales in Bangladesh, according to industry people. In recent years, shopping aimed at Eid-ul-Fitr, one of the most significant festivals for Muslims worldwide that marks the end of Ramadan, starts 15 days prior to the fasting month. Rehnuma Khan, a homemaker who was purchasing products from Yellow’s Mirpur outlet yesterday, said that her Eid shopping had just started.