All that glisters is not gold: Shimmering garlands fail to make sales this Hajj season

Vendors at Benazir Bhutto International Airport trying hard to make ends meet.

ISLAMABAD:

With the passage of time, many of the local traditions are seemingly perishing. There was a time when platoons of family members could be seen flocking the airports with rose petals and garlands in hands to welcome relatives coming back from pilgrimage. Performing the ritual was considered less of a fashion statement than it is now.

Vendors would setup glimmering stalls full of fresh smelling roses and shiny accessories and by the last homewards bound flight; they would collect a respectable sum from the business. However, with newer trends of hosting showy dinners and busy celebratory lunches, some hosted by the pilgrims themselves, the sales of those annually setting up stalls at the exit gate of Benazir Bhutto International Airport (BBIA)Islamabad have also gone down significantly.

Amidst the otherwise dull airport premises, a flashy stall with colorful garlands hanging from the top did not seem to attract many. Ahmed Khan could be seen sitting there, on a dreary Thursday afternoon, prayerful to get the attention of each passerby. Having been in the business since the past decade, Khan recalls the “good old days”, when he would need additional staff to handle customers during Hajj season.

Khan has not yet wasted a minute of the time --- a month, between the first and last Hajj flights’ arrival--- he is allowed to set the stall up for by authorities.  From strategically placing better garlands on top of the smaller ones to even offering small discounts on those made with artificial parts, nothing has worked out for him so far. He blames international flights now landing at other airports, including Multan and Sialkot, for the low turnout of potential clients in the capital.

“Due to the diversions and abysmal flight schedules, our business has suffered immensely,” said Khan whose inventory includes small traditional gold and silver bristled garlands worth around Rs100, bigger ones that are colorfully brought together using artificial flowers paired with neon pink, green and yellow bristles costing around Rs500 and fresh flowers, a part of which is one display, while the rest are carefully tucked away in a refrigerator at the back of the stall. The items are usually bought from Rawalpindi and Lahore.

“Business at the airport this year is moving at snail’s pace,” according to the friendly seller who nostalgically goes on about past experiences, “Once we used to sell at an average of 100 bouquets daily. Now, it has been days since we made our last major sale.”

The statements of people at the airport receiving their relatives returning from hajj seemed to concur with those of Khan.  “My parents are gone for Hajj but I don’t think I will be buying them garlands here. It’s something used to do in the past, a dying trend. Times have changed,” said Ayesha Akhtar.

Although flights might be getting diverted and pilgrims might be arriving at hours not suiting Khan’s business, it is the change in trends he and many of his like should be worried about. Modern times, ask for modern sales techniques and in a country where french-fries sellers copy brand names of international food chains and cabbies place the logos of luxury car brands on their battered coupes, the flower sellers will also come up with a ‘glamorous’ idea to raise their sales.

Meanwhile, Khan is only left with a few days to break even.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 6^th, 2013.