Al Amin :
Despite high demand of Children’s wear in the ongoing Eid-ul-Fitr shopping, the total sales are almost half in comparison of Eid sales in 2019.
The shopkeepers said the sales of children wears are 50 per cent less than they did in the Eid festival in the year.
Most of the customers, who are visiting shops, are buying dresses like pant, shirt and Panjabi for their children aged between 8-15 years, they said.
The shopkeepers missed a couple of festival sales, including Eid festival in 2020, due the countrywide lockdown for preventing spread of Covid-19.
Visiting different shopping malls in the city, this correspondent on Monday found that at least 30 to 40 per cent customers were buying children wears to celebrate the upcoming Eid festival.
The shopkeepers, however, displayed various types of children wears in their shops to attract attention of the customers. Some of them are offering 15 to 30 per cent discount to increase their sales.
Mohammad Ashraful Alam, CEO of Aarong, told The New Nation, “The Eid-ul-Fitr is the biggest event for us. We bring some specialties in every product line every year considering weather, season, fashion trend and people’s demand.”
“This year too, we have brought novelty in our products, especially for kid wears,” he added.
“The products, we are selling this year, are mostly kid’s item and the sale is at least 50 per cent which is less than our expectation due to the pandemic situation,” he said.
Abdul Hadi Chowdhury, Head of Retail Operation of Yellow brand, said, “Expected sales are yet to be started but it is still good amid the ongoing pandemic situation.”
There are a huge number of new collections, especially for young and kid’s items in our shops, he said.
Asking about the price range, Hadi said the prices of goods are almost same in the last year. The price range of kid’s Panjabi is Tk 900-5000, Pant is Tk 700-3000 and Polo shirt is Tk 400-3000 per piece.
“All of our products are user-friendly. That’s why the customers chose our products,” he said.
Mamun, Manager of the Smartex in Police Plaza, said, “We collected a lot of new collections for children in our shop this year hopping a good sale. But so far, we are not getting good response from the customer sides.”
However, demand for kid’s item like pant, shirt and Panjabi is high this year, he added.
A customer Sohel Khan said he was looking for kids’ attire for his relatives. “I cannot help buying some new clothes for little ones in the family for Eid celebrations whatever the situation is,” he added.
Rabiul Islam, a salesperson of Punjabi shop Lubnan in Bashundhara city shopping mall, said the sales are yet to get a pace.
“How can people come here to do shopping if they cannot travel to the malls as public transports still remain suspended,” he raised a question.
He also said their sales plunged in to around one-third of their usual Eid season selling.
“We have already missed several festival seasons since the lockdown began last year. We don’t know how we will survive if the situation continues to disfavour us,” he said.
