Sales of artificial jewellery and bangles on the rise

KARACHI: Hundreds of women throng the bazaars of the metropolis in the last ten days of Ramazan, resulting in doubling of sales for big retail outlets of artificial jewellery and bangles. While smaller shops’ sales rise by 25 percent to 35 percent.

In the Saddar market there is mixed reaction of shopkeepers as half of the shoppers are pleased with their sales while the other half are still not satisfied with their sales as compared their last year business during Ramazan.

Female customers are flocking to the markets to buy artificial jewellery and bangles matching with their clothes. The jewellery sellers say after sitting easy in the first twenty days of Ramazan, customers are now coming in a large number. Sales of big retail outlets in market have jumped to Rs 100,000 to Rs 150,000 per day, said Mr Rafique Memon an owner of a big retail outlet in busy shopping area of Boulton market.

He said that due to the current political situation and inflation, the purchasing power of people has effected, therefore there is not a bigger difference in number of shoppers and magnitude of shopping as compared to previous years. A shopkeeper at Tariq road said, “Our sales depend on variety of products offered to the customers, larger variety attracts more female customers. Females are very conscious what they wear as most our customer asked latest jewellery item used in Indian dramas,” he adds. Aslam Raza a shopkeeper at Hyderi market said that the artificial jewellery and bangles are the most sold products in the last ten days of Ramadan. Right now our business is on peak as compared to the first twenty days because people usually prefer unstitch garments, as tailors usually stop taking orders for stitching clothes after 15th Ramadan.

Another shopkeeper said, his sales have swelled by 200 percent in last fifteen days of Ramazan. He said there was no business in first fifteen days, but now he is facing increasing pressure of customers.

Rising expenditure cost: The owner of another boutique said that his sales have risen by 15 percent to 20 percent but higher expenses are not allowing him to earn more. “Shoppers come out of their homes only after breaking their fast, so we have to keep shops open till late night, which incur more electricity charges and make us to give double salaries to our sales staff.” “Sales depend on variety of products offered to the customers, larger variety attracts more people,” he adds.

Still some of the shopkeepers said that sales have reduced to a great extent as compared to previous years, because purchasing power of the people has fallen as a result of higher expenses.

“There is a great rush of people in bazaars as always, but not real shoppers,” said Mohammad Majid, a shop owner at Tariq Road. “In Ramazan, especially the last ten days, more than half of the people seen roaming around shops come here just to enjoy the hustle bustle,” he added.