Used or not, rising inflation spares no item in Lahore’s flea markets

Once a source of affordable branded attire for those on a budget, even flea market goods now cost 25% more than before

LAHORE: Fancy a pair of original branded sneakers? Or perhaps a tweed jacket from England? For years, Pakistanis on a budget have turned to various flea markets, like Lahore’s famous landa bazaars, to cater to their taste from foreign attire and other goods. Come winter especially, and one sees crowds throng to the myriad thrift stalls in search of high quality winter hand-me-downs.

This winter may be the same in terms of crowds for the markets but prospective customers have one small complaint. It appears rising inflation across the country have not even spared thrift stores, putting once affordable high quality used goods beyond the budget of a significant chunk of the populace.

Speaking to The Express Tribune, both buyers and sellers at Lahore’s landa bazaars complained of a between 20 and 25 per cent rise in the prices of all items. Prospective consumers also complained of the proliferation of cheaper and rather low quality Chinese items, which seem to have driven up demand for used originals even further.

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“I come here every winter to buy shoes and sweaters for my children, but it has become exceedingly hard to shop on a budget even in landa bazaar,” said customer Mehvish. “I no longer see quality stuff. The vendors, despite putting up defective items, are still charging as much as Rs1,000 for a coat and Rs500 for a shirt,” said another landa bazaar regular, Rehan.

“The shoes I do see in landa bazaar are mostly knock-offs from China. The international brands that were once so common are now being sold for as much as Rs1,000 to Rs2,000. This is absurd for used items and has put them out of the reach of the poor,” said Bushra, as she perused through the various thrift stalls. She urged the government and vendors to put some kind of check on inflation.



Landa Bazaar Traders Organisation Secretary General Naeem Badshah admitted the prices of many wares had increased by a quarter compared to the previous year. “The rising dollar rate, the 10 per cent increase in duties, sales and other tax, all of this is a factor in this inflation. For Rs100,000 worth of goods, we have to pay now as much as Rs36,000 in taxes,” he said. Other vendors also pointed to a rise in transportation costs for goods.

On the other hand, vendors said the landa bazaars now continue all year round instead of a few months in winter. “Traditionally, these markets were set up only in winter to sell items for cold weather,” said one of them. “Now, however, we continue selling all year round, switching to hot weather clothes during the summer.”

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According to estimates, Rs500 million worth of clothes are imported every year for sale at Lahore’s landa bazaars. While the Old Landa Bazaar was once Lahore’s sole flea market, many more have sprouted all over the city such as the Borhwala Chowk, Mayo Hospital and Chungi Amar Sadhu landa bazaars. Various thrift stalls also pepper Anarkali as well.

As affordable or not the clothes sold in flea markets and thrift stores may be, medical experts caution consumers who purchase them to clean them thoroughly before use.

“There are many risks when it comes to used clothes. They can be a potential source for skin ailments,” said dermatologist Dr Jawad Ahmed. “It is recommended that any user wash them thoroughly with detergent and expose them to sunlight before wearing them to kill any germs or bacteria,” he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 27^th, 2019.