THE basic consideration of the weekly bazaars is to provide farmers and manufacturers a platform to sell  their products directly to consumers at a fair price without the involvement of middlemen and wholesalers.

However, middlemen also sell their goods to consumersat these bazaars, although at cheaper rates than those prevailing at neighbourhood retail markets. The retailers purchase consumer goods from wholesalers who procure them from middlemen rather than the producers. This results in escalation of prices.

The middlemen buy the produce from growers at low rates and supply it to wholesalers pocketing a major chunk of the profit.

The concept of holding weekly bazaars, mandis and melas are centuries old. Weekly bazaars called haats in Hindi were held in villages in India to enable farmers and villagers to sell their produce at these markets. A wide range of merchandise of daily use was sold at these bazaars.

The artisans also brought their artefacts to these markets to earn their livelihood. Animals, birds and agricultural tools and inputs were also traded. But these days traffic problems, cost of fuel and transport and above all the law and order situation are discouraging visit to weekly bazaars.

Many prefer to visit the modern air-conditioned supermarkets like Hyper Star in Clifton, Imtiaz, Naheed and Metros chain in different parts of the city, where groceries, vegetables and fruits, fresh in the cool showcases, are available at cut rates.

There has also lately been a change in the mindset of upper-middle  class to go for marketing in super marts where a lot of things are available under one roof on debit and credit cards.

However, a sizable number of people hard pressed by high inflation and dwindling purchasing power, still turn to weekly Bachat Bazaars.

At present, around three dozens of such bazaars are held on different week days in the city under district governments. These weekly bazaars are referred by the days on which they are held for instance Sunday Bazaar, Jumma Bazaar, Budh Bazaar. Hafta Bazaar etc.

Many such bazaars are also functioning in the limits of cantonment boards and the Railways. However, the city government ensures price control in these markets, discloses Mr Rashid Ikram, District Officer of Bachat Bazaar.

These bazaars have their own organising committees which manage these markets and fix price. The temporary shops in the market are arranged in rows at nominal rents with wide passage between them for the consumers.

“For the poor, these bazaars are open air supermarkets where everything of their use is available at the same ground,” said a lower-middle class gentleman..

Beside small retailers, some leading national and multinational franchises also set up their stalls in these bazaars to sell their products.

Hundreds of people visit each of these bazaars. Women especially throng them and purchase fruits, vegetables, green grocery and other household items.

A Hafta Bachat Bazaar held in Gulistan-e-Jauhar behind Block 11 is among the few ones where fresh vegetables and fruits grown in near by farms and Malir are brought for sale.

The weekly bazaars held in the suburb of Karachi, provide a better chance to consumers to buy garden-fresh fruits and vegetables, whereas the city weekly bazaars have the produce from the Sabzi Mandi. In almost all weekly bazaars a portion of the market is set for second-hand clothes where womenfolk throng to select clothes of their choice including decoration pieces, curtains, rugs and tablecloths. Some exotic items are also available at the stalls in these markets which are picked up by enthusiastic customers.

The markets remain open till late in the evening with peak rush in the afternoon. These bazaars also deal with toys, dolls, luxury goods, shoes, sandals and wooden items. Cosmetic and garments shops are the busiest shops. Readymade garments, lawns, bed sheets and towels are also available.

“Many people at the market do not bargain for the items they want to buy,” a customer said. However, a middle-aged lady intervened: “I purchased corn cobs at Rs20 per kg after bargaining while everybody is buying the same at Rs30 per kg. The same holds true for onion, potato, vegetables and many other items,” she added. “But some of the vendors are rigid they do not like bargaining,” she remarked. She complained that there no effective mechanism to check price spiral and to regulate prices.

“Every one is busy making money,” she commented.

In response to a question about the margin of profit at these markets, a vendor Allahyar Arain said: “Our profits are more than in daily market owing to high volumes although with lower margin, and secondly because we are not required to pay too much rent for the place.”

Modern Bachat Bazaars, said to be the largest in the country spread over a vast area, are held on Sunday and Wednesday in Defence Housing Authority, Phase-VIII. These new-generation Bachat Bazaars with items of daily use provide a good shopping opportunity to the consumers.

The bazaar at the top is covered with fibreglass and has a number of aisles lined with designed tiles, between the sheds. A large number of stalls have been set up in the area, where leading national and multinational franchises have established their sale points.

A visit to the Sunday Bazaar in the DHA negates the concept that only the middle and lower-middle classes go for shopping to Bachat Bazars. These bazaars are also visited by well-to-do and upper-middle class families.

“Artistes, models and celebrities are also regular visitors of the bazaar,” said a smartholder of a stall in the bazaar Shafiq Khan.

“They are always on the lookout for antique jewelleries, garments, bags, shoes, clothes and accessories. Toys, crockery and decoration items are also much sought after items,” he remarked.

In addition to essential commodities, these weekly bazaars offer a wide range of household items such as ladies purse, imitation jewellery, jackets, suiting, and electronic items.

“Like in other sectors of the society, there is no writ of the government in these weekly bazaars too,” said an elderly gentlemanwhile buying vegetables from the vendor in the market.

“I purchased onion at the rate of Rs40 per kg while the vendor says the market committee has fixed Rs45 per kg in the price list which was displayed at his stall. But in most cases it is vice versa. Goods are sold at prices higher than fixed by the market committee.

“Very few people insist on seeing the price list issued by the market committee and the vendors sell items at rates on their own whims,” he added. “The local authorities should enforce their writ in these markets,” he suggested.

A high official of The Enterprise and Investment Promotion however, said that following at a directive of the KMC Administrator, the department had taken steps to ensure rules and regulations.