Sales of winter clothes rising as mercury heads downward

Sales of winter clothes have been on rise in different city markets including footpath-based floating shops with gradual fall in mercury, shoppers have said.
According to them, sales of winter clothes such as sweaters, jackets, coats, jersey, Sleeve T-Shirts, blankets, trousers, shawls, winter hats and mufflers  etc have started since the middle of November and it have gradually been increasing.
A visit to some city markets revealed that people of different age-groups have thronged local markets, shopping arcades and footpath-based shops to buy winter clothes for them and for their near and dear ones.
Shopkeepers and retailers including floating traders are displaying various kinds of winter clothes in their shops and some outlets have even put up separate sections exclusively for winter collections to attract the buyers.
Proprietor of GAP, a shop of the Bashundara City Md. Sajal Sikder told the FE that sales of winter clothes have just started and will be increasing with the intensity of cold. It may take some more days to witness sales at its peak.
"Price is slightly higher than that of last year. Our price range is Tk 1,800 to Tk 4,000," he added.
"Actually today is a Friday, a weekly holiday. The number of customers is comparatively more than that of the normal days. Besides, intensity of cold is also gradually increasing in the last few days. This also influenced the city-dwellers to rush today to buy winter clothes," Mohammad Shawon, sales manager of Ecstasy Bashundara Branch.
Mr Shawon also said increasing trends of sales of last 15 days give them a hope to witness the peak selling very soon.
"It totally depends on the intensity of cold. If its intensity increases soon, our sales will also rise," he added.
Shawon said price varies according to quality of the attires but it has slightly increased than that of the last year.
"The price range of our winter clothes is Tk 1,580 to Tk 7,000," he said.
M. M Ashfaque Naguib Sumon, manager of Neela, a shop of readymade garments and allied cosmetics of the city's Elephant Road told the FE that still now winter sales are not significant but it is on the rise slowly.
"Every year we witness the peak sales of winter items at the time of comparatively intensified cold but this year, it may need some days," he added
Nazrul Islam Hira, sales manager of Supar Ramna Store, a blanket shop of the city's Paltan area, said that sales of their blankets are gradually increasing.
 "Now we sell around 25 to 35 blankets per day which were 10 to 15 per day 15 days ago," he said expressing hope that sales will significantly increase very soon," he added.
He said the price range of their blankets is Tk 700 to Tk 9,000.
Mohsin Ahmed, owner of a footpath-based shop at the New Market area told the FE that he started selling winter items from last month but at the beginning he kept only a few winter clothes besides normal products but now all his products are for winter season.
"I am witnessing a great surge in my sales from last week. I am optimistic of a sharp rise in the coming days," he added.
He said people of low-income segment actually come here. The price range of his winter attires is Tk 90 to Tk 600 depending on quality.
However, Masud Rana, a banker, was buying winter clothes for his mother, two sons and wife from the city's Elephant Road area. He expressed his dissatisfaction that price is comparatively higher than that of the last year.
"I bought clothes for all members of my family but I think price is comparatively higher," he added.
Sharmin Jahan Chaity, a student of Brac University, who was buying winter clothes at Bashundara City, told the FE that she along with her family members came to buy winter clothes.
"We have visited some shops here for our preferred products and already bought for my two sisters. These cost Tk 2,450 and Tk 2,100," she said.
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