In Punjab, business affected for tailors ahead of Eidul Fitr

Amid increasing tailoring charges and affected purchasing power, many in Lahore decide against buying new clothes

LAHORE: With the lockdown eased and Eidul Fitr around the corner, segments of people in the provincial capital have started thronging local markets looking to buy shoes, clothes and accessories to complete their festive wardrobe. However, where there is a sudden increased footfall in the markets, the tailor workers’ decision to surge their charges by 20% to 25% this year, has put a damper on the spirts of many financially affected by the current economic conditions.

In previous years, Lahore’s top tailors would usually stop booking tailoring orders from the first of Ramazan, following which the period until the eve of Eid remained the busiest for the dressmakers. However, the coronavirus lockdown this year had kept the markets shut and the customer footfall next to nonexistent until the first half of the month of Ramazan. “This is supposed to be our busiest season but this year, sales have been seriously affected by the lockdown. Compared to last year, there is a 50% decrease in tailoring customers,” said Muhammad Faizan, a well-known tailor from Shalimar Link Road.  “The main reason for the decrease is that most people cannot afford new clothes anymore now that so many have been rendered unemployed or been put out of business due to the current situations,” he added.

According to Fizan, tailoring prices had to be increased this year to make up for the losses suffered during the lockdown. “Getting a simple Shalwar Kameez suit tailored for gents from an well-known tailor can cost between Rs800 to Rs1,000 while the price of special buttons is charged separately.

Whereas, a suit with any kind of embroidery work can cost between Rs12,00 to Rs1,800 depending on extent of embroidery. On the other hand, a corner store kind of a tailoring outlet might charge between Rs500 to Rs800 for a plain suit.”

Waleed Ahmed, a resident of Lahore, told that he would buy new tailor-made clothes for himself and his family every year, but shopping for cloth and then getting it tailored for Eid will be difficult this year considering his own business has remained shut for almost two months during the lockdown.

“As an alternative, I will buy ready-to-wear clothes this year. A decent ready-to-wear Shalwar Kamiz suit for gents can cost between Rs1,200 to Rs6,000, which is still relatively cheaper than getting tailor-made suit of the same variety,” he shared.

Uzma, who is an avid shopper, said that people don’t have much incentive to buy new clothes for Eid this year. “Most places of public entertainment like malls, parks and cinemas are still closed and given the threat of the disease, people this year will also remain apprehensive about visiting their relatives, so there’s no point buying new clothes to stay at home,” she told The Express Tribune. “Most people I know have only bought new clothes for their children, while parents plan to wear whatever’s already there in their closets,” she added.

Apart from clothing, a similar situation is being observed in footwear outlets across the city. The special shoe stalls which would be set up in streets and markets weeks before Eid, have remained out of sight and the footfall in city’s major footwear outlets has too been significantly affected by the existing situations. “Eid is around the corner and we still haven’t received half as many customers as we would entertain around this time in previous years. This is all because of the coronavirus, which has not only kept markets closed and people at home, but also affected their purchasing power in the process,” lamented the owner of a shoe store in City Tower Gulberg.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 17^th, 2020.