Shoppers head to ‘Bachat Bazaars’ for new clothes

Bachat Bazaars, or markets where products are available at a discount, have made Eid shopping possible for many people from lowincome groups who would otherwise be hard pressed to afford new clothes in time of record-breaking inflation.

The bazaars have been set up by district administrations and various philanthropic organisations, offering goods at a minimum profit. One reason behind such bazaars is to allow people to continue the custom of buying new outfits and shoes for Eid.

At one such Bachat Bazaar in Gulshan-e-Iqbal area of Karachi, there are a variety of stalls offering women's unstitched clothes, children's ready-to-wear clothes, sandals and slippers, bangles, henna, and jewelry. A person selling ready-towear dresses for girls says that the price of pret has increased by 30 to 40 per cent compared to last year.

The effects of inflation have not spared Bachat Bazaars, he said, adding that sales were down 50 percent compared to last year. For the shoppers, such markets are ideal for bargain deals. One shopper told The Express Tribune that she had brought her family to the market save money. "Some items are available at a discount while others are available at the same rate as elsewhere," she said. Some buyers were unhappy with the quality of the product.

"But children want new clothes and this is what I can afford," said another shopper with three children in tow. The shopper said he worked as a daily-wage earner and was facing difficult in finding regular work. "I am using some of my savings, too, because it's for Eid after all." Muhammad Shah, who runs a stall, says he has been selling slippers and sandals worth Rs200 to Rs250 at his stall. "But many customers are not ready to buy even at this price." Shah added that even though they had cut down on their profit margins, the buyers are still facing challenges of affordability and lack buying power.