In the bustling Keraniganj wholesale clothing market near Dhaka, traders are grappling with dwindling profits and a significant drop in customer footfall as Eid-ul-Fitr approaches.
This year, the festive fervour is markedly subdued–a sharp contrast to the usually vibrant pre-Eid shopping sprees.
Historically, the market has thrived with shoppers from various areas, buzzing with activity before Shab-e-Barat.
However, this season, the situation is different, primarily due to escalating commodity prices affecting the Eid market.
Retail buyers are sparse, and those who venture out purchase less than they traditionally would.
A visit to the market revealed a noticeable hike in clothing prices across the board, ranging from Tk20 to Tk300-400 based on the quality. From shirts and pants experiencing a Tk50-100 increase to Chinese T-shirts hitting the higher end of Tk300-400, inflation has been broad and unforgiving.
The proprietor of Othoba Burqa House, Mamun Dewan, highlighted the downturn in Ramadan sales compared to previous years, with the cost of burqas rising by Tk20-30 each.
“We can only hope for a profit margin of Tk50 to Tk100 a piece, depending on sales,” Dewan lamented.
Echoing this sentiment, Mahbub Alam, owner of Kajal Panjabi, noted a significant slump in sales, stating: “The sale of panjabis, which usually begins before Shab-e-Barat, has not picked up since the start of Ramadan this year.”
Staff and owners alike voiced their concerns over the unprecedented low sales. Masud Rana of Shokh Rong Collection remarked: “I have never seen such a slump in 15 years. Despite the slight increase in clothing prices compared to last year, we have had no customers.”
The ripple effect of rising living costs has left consumers prioritizing essentials over new clothes, as articulated by Sabbir Hossain, Manager of Park Land shop. “With fixed incomes being stretched to cover food and essentials, interest in buying new clothes has understandably waned.”
Azizur Rahman, a wholesale customer from Naogaon, and Mohammad Ali from Gazipur shared their dismay at the surging prices, noting significant hikes in the cost of shirts, pants and panjabis compared to last year.
This collective distress underscores the challenges faced by both traders and customers at the Keraniganj wholesale clothing market as they navigate the economic strains of Eid-ul-Fitr shopping amidst rising costs.