Sales in shopping malls yet to pick up pace

Shopping malls and commercial outlets in the city have started opening their shutters after Eid-ul-Fitr holidays, but the presence of customers was insignificant.

Salespeople said it may take one more week to pick up momentum in business activities as Dhaka-bound people just started pouring into the capital after celebrating the festival with near and dear ones.

Visiting shopping malls in the capital, this correspondent found that major centres including Bashundhara City just reopened on Thursday and sales were negligible.

"We've just opened our shop today (Thursday) and it might take one more week to get business as usual as the city-bound people began heading toward their workplace," said a manger of WESTECS, a clothing outlet at the Bashundhara City.

People, who left Dhaka last week for celebrating the religious festival in their village homes with their relatives and neighbours, started returning to their workplace amid heavy rainfall across the country.

Ruhul Amin, a manager of WESTECS, told the FE that after a five-day Eid holiday, the market reopened on the day, but, many shops were still closed and the market was virtually devoid of customers.

Sejuti Ghos, a senior salesgirl at Aarong, one of the country's leading chain shops having 15 outlets, said after a three-day Eid vacation, all outlets reopened on Monday, but their business still remains insignificant.

"Hopefully, our sales will get normal pace by early next week," Ms Ghos said adding that turnover usually after the Eid vacation remained down as most of the people buy their luxury items including dresses before the festival.

"Although we resumed our banking activities on Monday, transactions are very poor" said Kartick Sen, a senior relationship manger at the Kawran Bazar branch of NCC Bank.

Mr Sen, also vice president of the bank, said their banking transaction was roughly 20 per cent on Monday. However, he hoped that their regular banking activities will resume by early next week.

The city streets were almost congestion-free during the Eid vacation. However, public transports including buses and three-wheelers have started plying the city streets.

A shopkeeper in the city's Kawran Bazar said supply in the city's wholesale market was scarce because of the holiday and the heavy rains.

Meanwhile, the scenario in the city's famous restaurants, including the international fast food chains and movie theaters, recreational parks and museums were different during the Eid holidays.

These places and facilities stayed open throughout the holidays when many city dwellers thronged defying intermittent rains.

khairulislamdu@gmail.com