Though mid-November has approached but the weather is not so chilled and frosty as it was during corresponding month last year hence causing no hustle and bustle in market regarding winter shopping.
Wholesalers and retailers wanting to make booming business are looking to be worried, as the winter could not hit the city with all its nippy breezes. Surprisingly, city is buzzing with wedding season, which is always helpful in blustering the winter shopping. But this time it could not make a difference.
“People are not visiting our shops and asking for some winter stuff while most of the shopkeepers are not yet willing to put their winter garments on sale, as it will earn them lower profits at the moment,” said Sher Khan, a shopkeeper at Panorama shopping centre.
He said the winter garments are available in the godowns but the further decrease in temperature after one or two rains would help shopkeepers earn a reasonable profit.
Vendors carrying sweaters and jackets on their shoulders were also making rounds of the markets and most of the visitors were seen just asking the prices without making a purchase. A visitor, Haider Jahan, said this is the best time to purchase a jacket or sweater, as prices are relatively low, but the shortage of variety at the moment is a concerning issue.
A visit to various Sunday bazaar and Landa bazaar showed the interest of female visitors in woollen garments for kids that were only available at selective stalls. Rafia Tabassum, a housewife, said that children are always sensitive to weather conditions and need special care, so it is imperative to buy woollen garments for them prior to the winter season.
According to some shopkeepers, the upcoming winter variety will bring a new wave of price hike, as wholesale dealers have been purchasing stuff at new rates that are quite high compared to previous season.
“Price-hike is a growing phenomenon and wholesale dealers can do nothing to maintain prices at some affordable level,” said Riaz Muhammad, a wholesale dealer in Liberty Market. He said the winter products due to being transported via road from China bear a heavy cost after the raise in petroleum prices some months back.
All kind of clothing and accessories i.e. gloves, woolen hats, mufflers, pullovers, sweatshirts, and jackets can be seen hanging in front of shops in the markets to attract people.
But customers are not feeling urge to buy them while some are becoming more and more choosy while purchasing these wears. Many customers complained that second-hand clothes were also expensive. The prices of used clothes are spiralling every year, commented a lady at Icchra Bazaar. However, a second-hand clothes dealer said that they were getting these clothes at exorbitant prices from wholesale dealers in Lahore and Karachi and were forced to sell them accordingly.
According to various shopkeepers, only 30 per cent of people from the lower-middle class and the poor strata are ‘real buyers’ while the rest come only for window-shopping. The concept of Landa Bazaar has sprung up basically to facilitate the poor and low-income people.