Bakra online: Residents turn to internet to buy sacrificial animals

People prefer getting animals at doorstep than travelling to the traditional markets

ISLAMABAD: With Eid just round the corner, the residents of the twin cities have turned to the internet to buy their sacrificial animals.

The trend of purchasing sacrificial animals online has gained momentum in the last few years, as the practices makes life easier for people who do not have time to make a trip to the market to select the sacrificial animal of their choice.

Such services allow shoppers to get doorstep delivery of the animals of their choice.

The growth in online shopping has been a blow for traditional sacrificial animal dealers, who have regularly complained about lower demand at makeshift markets as the influx of new trends and high prices for sacrificial animals scare away potential customers.

Online goat sellers upload videos and photos alongside descriptions of the animals including types and prices of goats and comparable animals to help customers chose.

Muhammad Amir Raza, a local resident, purchased two goats from an online goat vendor and seemed satisfied with the new trend. He said that the trend of online buying of animals on Eid has became popular as customers who buy goats or cows through a website can get the facility of paying for animals by weight. “It saves customers from hassle of arguing over prices as the dealers in these markets ask for prices ten times higher than what is available online”.

Qurbani, a website which deals in sacrificial animal says, “You can purchase goats online in two different ways. Either you can select your goat from our image gallery or tell us the weight of the required goat. The customers are charged as per the weight of the animal.”

Details of the animals’ weight, teeth, age, photo, price and the name are given separately to help a customer choose the animal of his choice. The animals’ price may be a little higher than the traditional market, but the difference is usually absorbed by offers of free delivery.

Similarly, in order to facilitate the customers, the websites are also offering online butcher booking services.

The citizens said they don’t mind paying a little extra if they are satisfied with the animals. They added that the websites offer return policies in case the animals are not the same as shown online which also wins consumer trust.

Rana Tahir a resident of F-6/1, said that on last Eidul Azha, he purchased
a goat through a website and it was good experience for him, which is why he would buy a goat from the website again.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 4^th, 2014.