Ladies, children garments sale hits record in Multan

The sale of ladies and children garments hit a record during Ramazan at different shopping centres and markets in Multan, said traders during a survey conducted by this correspondent just four day before Eid-ul-Fitr.
The owners and servants of the outlet said last year during Ramazan, sales of readymade garments recorded some 20 percent increase. The garments and clothes' traders in the city's main markets including Saddar Bazar, Hussain Agahi, Kalay Mandi, Gardezi Market, Hassan Arcade, Naseer Market ,Chowk Bazar, Haram-gate, New Multan, Gulshan Market said the general prices of ladies and children garments remained at the same level but they offered slightly higher rates for quality material.
A wholesale merchant said prices of ladies garments (three pieces) at different shopping malls and outlets in the city range between Rs 750 to Rs 2,200 a pair. Sales of garments made from imported clothes at different shopping plazas and shops registered an increase between 10 to 25 percent, said a shopkeeper of Haleem Centre.
He said most of the buyers with bargaining power prefer China-made fine cloth and want varieties of designs for their children, as they were comfortable and comparably cheaper as compared with others.
Prices of children's garments range between Rs 250 to Rs 500 a pair. Locally made ladies' wears were being sold at Rs 450 to Rs 1,000 per pair depending on quality of the cloth, he said.
A large number of customers prefer to buy readymade garments for their children instead of going to tailors as the rates of sewing is seen higher as compared to last year, a shopkeeper said.
"Prices are a bit higher in the markets and many people cannot afford so they prefer second-hand cloths. "The upward trend in the price of the second-hand market commodities is due to Eid-ul-Fitr and growing demand of tapestry, shirts, T shirts, trousers, carpets and shoes," said a vendor. "Due to influx of Chinese and Korean goods the second-hand clothes and shoes' traders have competitive rates, but our rates are still lower," a local cloth trader said.
He said Eid is an added factor in growing demand of clothes. We also sell shoes made by small shoe units and they are fairly cheaper than in the other shoe stores, he added.