September 22, 2008	Monday	Ramazan 21, 1429

KARACHI, Sept 21: The sale of Eid-related items on Sunday remained normal as consumers did not seem to show any panic after Saturday night’s bomb blasts at the Marriott Hotel in Islamabad.

The markets on Saturday night, after the deadly blasts in the capital, became deserted for about three hours soon after Iftar. But after midnight, shoppers flocked to the markets in huge numbers and, according to shopkeepers, the markets achieved their 100 per cent sales target from 12am to 4.30am.

A leading garment maker said that there was no negative impact on sales soon after the blasts and consumers’ buying remained normal after midnight on Saturday.

On Sunday, there were no visible security arrangements in the markets such as Hyderi, Tariq Road and Saddar. Even at the shopping centres, such as a major mall on Tariq Road, security officials were not checking the customers, even if they carried parcels or bags.

Shopkeepers in Hyderi told Dawn that the real buying spree usually kicks off after sunset. They said they had done a roaring business on the night of the blast in Islamabad.

They said the customers did not have any choice but to stay indoors after the passing of the 20th of Ramazan. Under any circumstances, the rush of buyers appears imminent in the last 10 days before Eid. They added that 90 per cent of the shopping was done after Iftar and only 10 per cent of buyers came out before Iftar.

Owing to poor security arrangements and rising street crimes, 70 per cent of shopping is being done through credit cards.

President of the Karachi Tajir Action Committee Siddiq Memon did not agree to the assertion that the markets lacked security arrangements. He said on Tariq Road, many small signboards alerted the visitors that ‘the eye of the camera is watching you.’

He linked the huge rush of buyers after 20th Ramazan to the disbursement of salaries in many government and private offices and factories. As for prices, he said imported and locally made items and garments were 25 to 60 per cent costlier this Eid owing to the falling value of the rupee against the dollar. Even the rate of cosmetic items had gone up by 40 per cent as compared to last year.

Mr Memon claimed that last Ramazan, sales of Rs22 billion were registered, but this year sales might not reach that figure owing to an increase in the cost of living triggered by high prices of essential commodities, utility bills and petroleum prices.

He said the price of branded items (formal gents, ladies and children’s wear), available at big shopping malls, had increased by 60 per cent. There is a 25 per cent increase in the prices of these items in the regular markets. Because of the huge price difference, people preferred shopping in medium-size regular markets, he added.

Because of the high prices in world markets and the rising rupee-dollar parity, traders have curtailed the import of garments, shoes, imitation jewellery etc to 1,050 containers worth Rs7 billion on this Eid from last year’s Rs14 billion.

Due to the massive load-shedding, the supply of local garments to the shops has been hardly 20 per cent of the target as the tailors could not meet deadlines.