As Eid-ul-Fitr, the largest Muslim festivity, is approaching fast a huge rush of people, particularly women, children, and families, were seen in bazaars and shopping malls of provincial capital Peshawar. However, the continuous recession and escalating prices of commodities have dampened Eid festivities. Traditional hustle and bustle of Eid was not witnessed this year and a majority of the people were seen returning home without shopping due to high prices of clothes, shoes, jewellery and eatables.
High prices of clothes, cosmetics, shoes and other Eid festival-related items for self-use or gifts have put a damper on the effective demand - demand backed up by purchasing power - on the part of the shoppers of low and middle-income groups.
Following visits to the city's bazaar, Meena Bazaar, Shaheen, Qissa Khawani, Hashtangri, Jhanda bazaar, Jehangripura, dean centre, and in main Saddar Bazaar including Jinnah Street-III, Shibli Street, Gora Bazaar, Khalid Street and Liaquat Bazaar, this correspondent found that sales, in both volume and value terms, at those places this year were lower than what they were last year.
Talking to the Business Recorder here on Saturday, many low-income group shoppers stated that sellers had increased the prices of all kinds of garments, cosmetics and shoes for making higher profits. But their income has not increased in proportion with the increase in prices of garments, cosmetics and other items on demand during the Eid festival, they said.
"I come to bazaar for shopping, but cost of everything is higher in comparison to last year's Ramazan. I cannot afford to buy new clothes and shoes for my children," Rakhsana Iqbal, a resident of Peshawar. It was noticed that the prices of all kind of things, particularly readymade garments, shoes, and other traditional outfits, have registered an increase of 70-80 percent as compared to last year.
An ordinary readymade children-suit is being sold at Rs 1500, which was selling at Rs 700-900 before the holy month of Ramazan. Similarly, the women footwear and shoes prices also increased manifold as low quality product was available not less than Rs 600-700, and Rs 1000-1,500, which is beyond the purchasing power of customers.
The women shoppers while sharing their bitter experience of last year, told that these shopkeepers usually tripled the prices of all range of things in last Ashra of the holy month, especially when it reached its climax on Chaand Raat. The interest of young girls in Eid shopping has been very much reduced as compared to four or five years back. They said that the shopkeepers have marred their delight on this biggest religious festival by raising the prises of everything.
Bilal Khawaja, runs a shoe and garments shop in Meena bazaar Peshawar said that price hike was main problem because the people could not purchase costly items. This time, he said rates of the children's readymade garments had been increased at least by Rs 150 and customers avoided to ask about any item. Salman, another shopkeeper selling bangles said that usually the Eid shopping picked after fifteenth Ramazan but this year the sale was very low. He added that price of every pair of bangles has risen by Rs 20-30, but even then women were taking interests to purchase.
The problems being faced by the people are price hike and load-shedding," Sajid Khan a young salesman at sadder bazaar said on Saturday. Similarly, a jeweller Shahid Khan said rate of every item of the jewellery has risen, adding that people liked the Indian jewellery.