Garment merchants on Saturday blamed the rising cost of living for a "sharp drop" in clothing sales ahead of Eid-ul-Azha. The shop owners complained that the demand for clothes was weak although Eid-ul-Azha festival is fast approaching. According to shop owners, sales are nearly 50 per cent lower compared with Eid Al Fitr. They noted that the sales used to peak in the days before Eid, when families traditionally buy new clothes for their children.
"This Eid is different from last year, as the purchasing power of consumers is getting weaker and weaker," they said. "We did not get our desired response from the buyers; we got a meager response from the buyers. However the affluent people who can afford readymade clothes buy cloth on Eid-ul- Azha as well which increases sale as compared to usual sale. Hasan Masood, owner of a store on Tariq Road, agreed, claiming that the rising prices of basic commodities hurt the clothing sector. "Prices of most items are going up while incomes remain stagnant," Hasan Masood said, noting that demand for clothes last year was "much better" than during the Eid period. Noting that sales have halved compared with last year's Eid-ul-Azha period, another shop owner said the majority of people that enter the store only ask about prices.
"Many people decided to skip buying new clothes in order to meet the expenses of sacrificial animals and other expenses of Eid. A quick look at the price tags of readymade garments in the windows indicates that shop owners decided to slash prices or hanged posters offering sale at reduced price to encourage customers.