RAWALPINDI:
With the payment of salaries to employees of government and private institutions starting Monday, March 16, Eidul Fitr shopping has gained momentum in Rawalpindi.
Markets, shopping centers and shopping plazas have come alive and merchants have also expressed their joy at the start of commercial activity.
Families have started visiting the markets in large numbers. After receiving their salaries on Monday, many families, including women and children, headed to the markets to buy children’s clothes during Eid.
For the past ten days, the markets remained open late into the night, but customers were relatively few. However, after salaries were paid, business activity increased.
With Eidul Fitr just four days away, crowds at the markets are expected to grow steadily each day. Peak shopping is expected in Chand Raat.
This year, Chand Raat is expected to fall on two nights: Thursday (29 Ramadan) and Friday (30 Ramadan). Merchants plan to keep their stores open uninterruptedly for 33 hours, from 10 a.m. to 7 a.m. the next day.
Due to rising oil prices, clothing and footwear prices have increased more than usual this year. Major clothing and footwear chains have seen lower sales compared to last year due to inflation.
Many retailers have launched “bundle sales,” offering unsold clothing and shoes from previous seasons at discounts of 25 to 30 percent. As a result, these sales sections have attracted larger crowds.
Instead of large shoe stores, many citizens have preferred to shop at stalls run by Pathan sellers in the markets.
At these stalls, children’s and women’s shoes are sold between Rs 1,500 and Rs 2,000, while men’s shoes are sold between Rs 2,000 and Rs 2,500.
Government employees said that earlier during Ramadan, most of the spending was focused on daily iftar expenses, but now after receiving salaries, they started shopping for Eid.
Muhammad Ali and Feroz Hassan said they were not going to compromise on children’s Eid shopping. “Children insist on buying two or three suits each, while we adults settle for just one suit and opt for cheaper sneakers instead of expensive shoes,” they say.
They added that monthly expenses still need to be managed after Eid because the next salary will be received after 44 days, on April 30.
