Providing a platform: Night market connects entrepreneurs with customers

Kuch Khaas celebrates the season with a bustling night market

ISLAMABAD: The last week of Ramadzan is known to be festive and celebratory because of the looming Eid and while there is still a little time before that begins, Kuch Khaas decided to host its Thursday Night Market and bring Islamabad in the festive mood.

Stalls were set up and the place was decorated with lanterns and fairy lights to give a lively touch to the place where people from all walks of life came to appreciate the beautiful and intricate jewelry, truck art decoration pieces, arts and craft materials, shawls and other traditional and modern items. The night market also featured an organic fruit and vegetables stall from the famous farmer’s market at Kuch Khaas, which is a regular.

Durre Sameen, from one of the most interesting stalls at the food market, Rangdey, told The Express Tribune that it is very hard for entrepreneurs and brands to get attention especially if they do not have a physical store. “Kuch Khaas is a great platform that allows us to bring in our work and attracts crowds that get acquainted with the brand and its offerings,” said Durre Sameen, who had a lot of interesting and beautiful truck art-inspired work at her stall.

Gunga Jamni, another stall that saw a lot of crowd gather around it, displayed striking traditional home accessories, decoration items and even minor pieces of furniture that can significantly enhance the beauty of one’s home.

“Our work is a mixture of collection and production. My mom who travels frequently collects artistic pieces from all over the country. She assembles the tiles and paints them herself to add a unique touch,” said Zoya Abbas, a representative at the stall.

The stall had decoration items like wall hangings and mirrors as well, along with tables, stools and items like coasters and serving platters.

“This is the first time we are displaying at Kuch Khaas but we have a page on Facebook and sell our items online too,” Abbas said when asked how people can reach out to them.

Another interesting stall that seemed to be attracting the crowd’s attention was Enduring Dreams, which deals in theme-based events and customised wrappings for various occasions. “A lot of our accessories are hand-painted and inspired by truck art because that is highly in demand. But we also cater to clients that have a unique taste,” said Mahsoun Mustafa of Enduring Dreams while speaking to The Express Tribune.

A representative of Isloo Fresh and Organic Reri, a fresh and healthy food delivery service based in Islamabad, told The Express Tribune that the demand for organic fruits and vegetables is increasing by the day. “We have regular customers who we deliver to on a daily basis; these are health conscious people who found us online or at the Farmer’s market at Kuch Khaas and now rely on us for their fruit and vegetable supply. However, it is not just organic fruits and vegetables that we provide but we also offer organic raw whole milk, organic pasteurised whole milk and organic desi ghee,” said Qasim Tareen, the co-founder and chief farmer of Isloo Fresh and Organic Reri.

The night market at Kuch Khaas was not just a lively gathering but also a great opportunity for entrepreneurs to come out and showcase their work and get some time in the limelight.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 4^th, 2015.