Landa bazaars become popular resort

Shoppers say prices of new clothes no longer in reach.

SIALKOT:

The rise in prices of woolen clothes has left most low-income people with no option but to turn to the second-hand garments markets set up at several locations in the city, customers at one of these landa bazaars on Railway Road told The Express Tribune.

Tippu Ali, who was bargaining over the price of a woolen sweater, said his meager earnings from a retail shop were not enough for him to buy new clothes for the winter season. “I can either feed my family or buy new clothes,” he said. He said he hoped to get three to four used sweaters for the cost of one new sweater at a low-end garments shop.

Ijaz Goraya, another customer at the stall, said number of shoppers at landa bazaars had increased over the past few years. “Most landa bazaars run out of stock by the end of December. It is best to visit a couple of these bazaars before mid December to get clothes in good condition.

Landa bazaars have been set up in the city on Railway Road, Sardar Begum Hospital Road, Islamic Watan Road and Kashmir Road and at Allama Iqbal Chowk, Alam Chowk and near Muslim Bazaar and Bano Bazaar.

Shopkeepers said the variety of garments available at these bazaars had increased over the last few years.”We now have everything from woolen sweaters, mufflers, jackets in leather, cotton and denim to trousers and shoes,” they said.

A customer at another stall, Ahmad Abbas, complained about the rise in prices at landa bazaars. He said with some bargaining last year the same clothes were available for less than half the price the vendors wanted this year.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 10^th, 2011.