With Eid-ul-Fitr nearing fast, shoppers are now crowding cell phone outlets to have latest designs of smart phones at deep discounts.
Mobile phone companies and distributors have been enjoying huge sales since the 15th Ramadan, thanks partly to discounts and offers ahead of the festival.
While talking to this correspondent, salespersons and distributors of different cell phone companies in the city said sales of smart phones almost doubled ahead of Eid.
They said at the beginning of Ramadan they found a small number of customers to buy cell phones but after Ramadan 15, the number of customers kept increasing every day.
Abdul Yahan, sales executive at a Samsung outlet at the Bashundhara City Shopping Complex, said: “As mobile handset is a costly electronic item, people usually want to buy it with their savings, or extra money. We are experiencing a huge rush from last three to four days as the service holders got their Eid bonus.”
Yahia Mustafa, another sales executive of Oppo at the Bashundhara City Shopping Complex, said smart phones were the first choice of customers, particularly the young generation.
“We are handling a big rush of customers every day. Our sales are more than last year,” added Mustafa.
“We are expecting that the mad rush will continue till chand raat (last night of Ramadan)," he said.
Asmaul Hosna, a private university student, who has just bought a smart phone for Tk15,000, said: “I was wishing to have a new cell phone ahead of this Eid. That’s why I deposited money for the last six months and waited for discounts and offers.”
Hosna said he made his purchase having deep discount.
Another shopper Rinty Jahan, who came to buy a cell phone at the market, said she needed a smart phone badly, to keep pace with the changing world.
“A smart phone is a must in the current situation of local and global perspective. Being a student, I need to have numerous features in my cell phone which are ensured by a smart phone,” Jahan explained.
Visiting the Eastern Plaza Shopping Complex, which is best known as the “Mobile Market” in the capital, a huge rush of customers was found.
Opu Ahmed, manager, Electro-point, said their business increased almost by 25%.
He also said: “Previously, people were less interested to buy costly and latest cell phone. But now with the rise of income and business activities in the economy, people are increasingly inclined to pricy phone with smart features."
“We are getting huge response every day and it is increasing day by day as the Eid is approaching near,” added Ahmed.
It was found that about 10 types of models of new smart phone were getting more response from the customers, as they were offering discounts and different offers.
Among the products, Samsung is offering Tk10,000 cash back on Galaxy S10 series phone and Tk20,000 (maximum) cash back on Galaxy Note9 and Galaxy S9 series phones; Huawei is also giving Eid offer till June 10 of Tk10,000 (maximum) cash back on its new phone P30, P30 Pro, while offering a colourful umbrella with Y7 Pro and Y6 Pro.
Oppo has been offering chance of getting ICC World Cup match ticket on sale of Oppo F11 an Oppo A7 series phones, while Xiaomi was offering Tk3000 discount on its Mi A2 handset. Symphony, Techno and Walton’s phone are also getting response from the Eid shoppers.
