Fashion-outlet representatives expressed mixed feelings over their volume of sales that usually increases manifold bit by bit from the 20th Ramadan up till Eid-ul-Fitr.
Most of them said the Eid shopping in the country had lost its glory since the covid-19 outbreak in the country and the shadow widened further this year amid high inflation.
While some said their sales were a little bit higher than that of last year thanks to introducing some unique products that attracted consumers.
Visits by the FE correspondents to shopping hubs like Chawkbazar, New Market, Elephant Road, Bashundhara City, Mauchak, and Bailey Road on Monday revealed that increased numbers of buyers were busy in the malls choosing their desired items.
Salespersons said usually demand for baby items, panjabi, three-piece and sari increases several times during Ramadan compared to the usual months of a year.
Visiting Nurjahan Shopping Complex in Newmarket on the day, they found kids' items being sold mostly by the traders.
Abdullahel Kafi, an employee of a medicine outlet, went to the market to buy clothes for his only daughter and two sons.
Kafi says his wife and he have refrained from buying anything this Eid.
"We will have to pay debts with half of the bonus I obtained from my pharmacy shop," he says, indicating the bite of entrenched inflation into people's earnings.
Shahakul Alam Patwary, the owner of Rida Trading at New Market, said sales among the lower-middle class, the key buyers in the New Market, dropped notably this year.
He says rocketing price of food items and other services have been forcing people to cut their spending on clothing.
"We were expecting a double sale for the Eid-ul-Fitr and Bangla New Year (Pohela Boishakh) celebrations but our hope turned into despair."
Few good experiences were also found while talking to branch- in-charge of fashion house Dorji Bari at Bashundhara City Akram Hossain. "We are getting good number of sales at this outlet thanks to our huge collection of menswear, especially Panjabi."
They brought Panjabis with zipper as a new trend in fashion world this year.
"Buyers have special attention for their products mainly due to the fabrics quality and novel design," he adds.
The outlet was seen offering Panjabi mostly at costs between Tk 1800 and Tk 3000.
Regarding the overall Eid shopping this year, Mr Hossain says he believes the usual pressure on the capital city's shopping malls is easing with brands spreading their wings across the country.
"Now many district-and upazilla-level shopping malls host quality apparel house. As a result, buyers are shifting their reliance on city malls," he says.
An Eid shopper at the same shopping mall, Jannatul Ashfia, was looking for dresses for her husband and kids.
She, however, deplored that sellers were asking significantly higher prices for their cloths than that of previous year.
"I had to spend a lot of time to choose a dress for my three-year-old daughter and land in price-bargain," she said, adding that there was no scope to return empty-handed from shopping mall.
Acknowledging the price hike of attires, branch-in-charge of Rong Bangladesh Jahangir Alam Hira said costs of different raw materials, including fabrics, color, yarn and accessories, as well as other operational costs increased amid a surge in import costs.
"One has to pay higher for the better-quality dresses-this is a universal truth," says the trader.
The local fashion house has launched the Eid collection this year with the theme of four main ingredients of planet earth, namely fire, water, soil and wind. Such motifs have been attracting shoppers who prefer variations, he adds.
Expressing satisfaction over the current sales, he said it would increase further in the remaining days as many are waiting for their salaries.
A comparatively faded picture was seen in the ill-fated Bailey Road area. Most of the dress shops-small or large, brand or non-brand-were seen getting limited shoppers.
Talking to the FE correspondents, unstitched three-piece brand shop Chaity's salesman Chowdhury Jafar Ahmed said the devastating fire at a multistory building there created a negative connotation in the mindset of buyers.
However, they had good sales weeks ago, he said, adding that shoppers buy unstitched items at the beginning of shopping season since they also require to tailoring house.
The product's price range varies from Tk 1600 to Tk 3500 for locally manufactured items, while some Indian items cost as high as Tk 8,000, he added.
Haji Din Mohammad, a Chawkbazar-based perfume and personal-care products importer, said sales dropped by 25 per cent this Ramadan, especially in the district level.
Presence of retailers from distant districts has dropped drastically in Chawkbazar this year.
"I have also imported products in lesser amount."
Contacted, Bangladesh Dokan Malik Samity (BDMS) president Md Helal Uddin said many households in the country were still bearing the brunt of covid-19-induced economic shocks, and consequently they are tightfisted with their expenditure on nonessential items like dresses.
"It has become difficult for many consumers to do Eid shopping, who are already struggling with the brunt of essentials' prices," he said.
The trade-body leader, however, expects the crowd might increase further as many awaited for their salaries and festival bonuses.
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