In spite of shivering cold in the evenings Eid shopping in Rawalpindi has reached to its climax as heavy rush of people from different age groups were witnessed busy in Eid shopping. A great deal of hustle and bustle is seen in the shopping centres of Rawalpindi city, Cantonment, Chaklala and Gulrez Colony. Prime time for shopping is afternoons and late nights. During noon, most shoppers are seen in the fruit and vegetable market close to Raja Bazar.
The market offers a variety of seasonal fruits including apples, pomegranates, watermelons, pears, guavas, bananas and grapes. The apple and pears from China have lot of attraction, as they are comparatively cheaper.
Women and girls are seen visiting Bara market, China Market, Gulf Center, Rabi Center and many other plazas at Rehmanabad and Commercial market for smuggled imported fabrics from NWFP and Karachi. Another Bazaar which attracts a lot of women is the China Market, which is famous for imported goods brought from China through Karakoram into Pakistan.
China market is also very popular among women in Islamabad as well as those living outside the twin cities. They are mostly interested in material for wedding dresses and evening wears. Women buy Chinese material for their colour, print and durability. For children and toddlers, the market is replete with variety of clothes and within affordable price range. Bank Road, leads in this particular product. Recently some shops selling children's wear have come up in Saddar area.
Shopping centers around Sixth Road, Rehmanabad of Murree Road also offers a wide variety of garments for teenagers and kids at an affordable price. Commercial market in Satellite town is also another major shopping market for the people living in and around the area. However, Moti Bazaar continues to be the most popular market center for women. Though this time, shopping here may not be as interesting as before, due to July floods, which damaged and destroyed a large number of shops.
Heavy rush of shoppers for foot-wear, readymade garments and other daily use items was seen in Saddar, Raja Bazar, Scheme III, Chohar Chowk, Tench Bata, Lal Kurti, Jamia Masjid Road and Westridge.