Lights in and outside the shopping centres, overcrowded roads and lanes and heavy rush in cloth, garments, shoes and cosmetics shops is now a common scene in the city after 9pm, as Eid shopping is picking up momentum. People usually wait for last two weeks of Ramazan to begin shopping, which lasts till the Chand Raat (Eid night).
After the first Ashra (10 days) of Ramazan shopkeepers at almost all shopping centres in the city are now keeping their shops open till late night. Karachi shopkeepers usually complete their Taraveehs in five, seven or 10-days programmes at specially arranged places or in mosques and then go for Eid selling in night.
A lot of hustle bustle is seen in evening in major shopping areas including Tariq Road, Saddar, Bohri Bazaar, Zaibunnisa Street, Gulf Shopping Mall in Clifton, Jamia Cloth Market and Motandas Market at M.A. Jinnah Road, Super Market in Liaqatabad, Hydery Market in North Nazimabad, Liaquat Market in Malir and other bazaars. Shoppers including men, women and children often visit these bazaars after 9pm, and carryout Eid shopping till late night.
The city administration, other concerned departments and traffic police in collaboration with shopkeepers association have also started setting up special complaint centres at the major shopping centres in the city to register complaints about price hike or theft or pick-pocketing.
At some shopping areas, associations of shopkeepers have set up similar camps to facilitate shoppers. Some shopping plazas in posh localities of Defence, Clifton and Tariq Road have arranged their separate security system.
According to a survey of various shopping areas of the city by PPI during the last couple of nights, there was an unusual rush of buyers at all major shopping centres.
Shopkeepers hope shopping for Eid items would increase as Eid comes nearer. Even now in some areas, there is more shopping than usual. "I think this year buying trend is normal and there is no decline seen yet," said Abdul Jabbar Shaikh, a cloth merchant in Boulten Market. He said people wait whole year for Eid, so they could buy clothes, shoes and other items for their families to celebrate Eid.
During the initial days of Ramazan, there was rush in cloth shops and at tailors', but as the Eid approaches, people have started buying readymade clothes at garment shops or boutiques, while crowds of shoppers are seen at stores of shoes, bangles and cosmetics.
For women, shopping is also a pleasant pastime, so their buying spree continues till Eid night. Every other night they visit these shopping centres sometimes for buying similar things and making changes in their size or colour. The Chand Raat is mainly spared for purchasing bangles and applying Mehndi (Henna). Special stalls come up for this purpose one or two nights before the Eid.
Shahnawaz Tebani, a shopkeeper at a shopping centre in Clifton said it is a trend in our society that people usually shop more during Ramazan for Eid-ul-Fitr because this occasion is traditionally celebrated by Muslims with fervour. This year, the improved law and order situation has also reinforced the shopping spree.
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