RAWALPINDI: With a few days left for Eid, bazaars and markets in the garrison city appear to be buzzing with crowds of people, but for the city’s traders, there is a drop in business activity compared to previous years. And, they blame it on the reduced purchasing power of people.

Eid shopping remained dull in the first weeks of the holy month of Ramazan but it is now gaining momentum, but at stalls and small shops trading in readymade dresses, shoes, shirts, cosmetics and various other articles.

As far as businessmen with shops in main shopping malls are concerned, sales have dropped.

Shopping malls such as Zarkoon Plaza, Ghakar Plaza and Shahbaz Plaza on Bank Roadas well as in Chota Bazaar, Moti Bazaar, Bara Bazaar, China Market as well as Rabi Centre and Dubai Centre witnessed a slump in sales whereas smaller shops or stalls in Chota Bazaar, Moti Bazaar, Bara Bazaar and Commercial Market drew huge number of customers belonging to lower income groups. Affordable prices at these outlets are attracting buyers of limited means.

Vendors on the roadsides of busy roads and intersections are also doing brisk business this year as due to financial constraints, people of modest income have cut down their budget while the affluent section of the society has nearly completed their shopping.

Sheikh Umer, owner of a garment shop in Saddar, told Dawn that less activity had been witnessed in the bazaars as mostly people engaged in online shopping. “Most people visited the shops for window shopping,” he said, adding that in the past, they closed the shops late at night but this time they only work till 11pm.

A shopkeeper at Moti Bazaar, Junaid Saleem, said people had started visiting bazaars in the last two to three days, and that too late in the night to avoid traffic congestion.

Farkhanda Butt, a housewife, said that she did not like visiting the bazaar late at night but her children insisted as they enjoyed the hustle and bustle. “But, there is less activity in the market compared to past years; people do not have the budget to do Eid shopping this time around.”

Rawalpindi Cantonment Traders Association General Secretary Zafar Qadri told Dawn that this year less rush was witnessed in the markets for Eid shopping as purchasing power of people had reduced.

“There are two main reasons of less activity in Saddar this year - traffic and inflation. Less people visit the market in the last days of Ramazan as there is issue of parking. Besides, the cantonment authorities have dug up roads to carry out development work,” he added.

Published in Dawn, April 6th, 2024