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Sale at footpath shops has gained momentum in the city as the low-income people are thronging these makeshift shops for buying clothes and other items at cheaper prices.
Most of the footpath shops in Dhaka’s busy areas including Motijheel, Gulistan, Baitul Mukarram, Farmgate, New Market and Mirpur were bustling with Eid shoppers on Tuesday. Footpath traders were seen making brisk business barely a week ahead of Eid.
Rickshaw puller Nasir Uddin bought a frock for her four-year-old daughter from a footpath shop in front of Gulistan Shopping Complex at Fulbarhia.
“I shall spend the Eid day in Dhaka as my income will increase during Eid. I will go to my village home after Eid. Therefore, I have bought a beautiful frock for my daughter. This will suit her and she will look like a princess,” he said.
Nasir said the price of the dress was a little more than his budget but he bought the dress anyway.
Shopping on the footpath stalls entails the hassles of bargaining. But a good number of footpath shops are now selling clothes at fixed prices.
Shirt trader Babul Sheikh at Farmgate said they never lacked customers in this busy area.
“Ours is a fixed-price shop. Many employed persons buy clothes from my shop,” he said.
In front of Babul’s shop, this correspondent talked to a private company employee Jahirul Islam. He said he regularly buys shirts from these footpath shops due to the affordable prices they offer.
“One shouldn’t look down upon the footpath shops. Good products are available here at cheaper rates,” he said.
Footpath vendors said they are doing brisk Eid business after a break of two years due to the coronavirus pandemic but claimed the volume of their sales was much less than before.
They said people don’t have much money on their hands due to the rising commodity prices and the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. They also blamed mushrooming of clothing outlets in different neighbourhoods for the lack of business in footpath shops.
Abdul Mannan, a shoe hawker in front of Nurjahan Super Market in Mirpur Road, said, “In comparison to pre-pandemic Eids, the volume of sale is much lower this time. Low-income people have been struggling to survive. Earlier, they used to buy dresses and shoes for all members of their family but now they are purchasing things only for children and elderly members.”
“This year, I am selling products worth Tk 10,000 to Tk 12,000 every day as against Tk 30,000 to Tk 40,000 I used to ahead of Eid before the pandemic,” he said.
Saidur Rahman, another footpath trader in front of Shezan Point in Farmgate, echoed the same. “Sales are good but we are not meeting the targets,” he said. He, however, said the sales were increasing every day.
At the footpath shops, women’s three pieces are selling at the price range of Tk 350 and Tk 800, children’s clothes between Tk 150 and Tk 300, Panjabi from Tk 200 to Tk 300. Men’s shirt and trouser cost around Tk 120 and Tk 300 respectively.
(DS)
