The prices of an entire range of Eid-specific items have witnessed manifold increase with the religious festival just around the corner, while the shopping is also gaining momentum.

During a survey conducted by Business Recorder here on Monday, majority of the shoppers have held shopkeepers and retailers responsible for jacking up the prices of all local and branded items, including clothing, footwear and children garments.

The shoppers alleged the shopkeepers of selling old stuff at high prices, saying that an item costing Rs1,000 before the outbreak of the coronavirus is now being sold at Rs2,000.

The main focus of the shoppers is to purchase clothes, footwear and many other Eid-specific items despite substantial increase in the prices of them.

It was further observed that neither the shopkeepers nor buyers were following government-issued Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to avert spread of the coronavirus.

Traders, while dispelling the notion of profiteering, said that there was no doubt prices of all the items had gone up but blaming traders was not right, there were many other factors such as the high rents, high utility bills, high demand and reduced supply.

They said following the Covid-19 outbreak imports from China had significantly reduced as a result the prices of available stocks had gone up.

Similarly, transportation within the country was also stalled, therefore all the goods in demand were not reached in the markets as yet. Moreover, many processing plants were also shutdown, so shopkeepers did not get fresh stocks, while the prices of available stocks went up due to high demand.

The survey noted that prices of ladies clothes of famous brands before the coronavirus outbreak starting from Rs3,500 per suit to Rs15,000, were now being sold at minimum Rs5,000 per suit, while highest over Rs25,000.

A stitched suit of local brands before the coronavirus outbreak available at Rs2,000 now costs Rs3,500, unstitched suits were being sold between Rs1,000 to Rs3,000.

Prices of readymade ladies shirts start from Rs1,500 to Rs4,500.

Various varieties of ladies bags were also being sold at high rates as the minimum price of a bag is Rs1500, which in the past was available at Rs800 per bag.

Ladies shoes, sandals and chapels of famous brands were available in the range of Rs2,500 to Rs7,500 per pair against Rs1,500 to Rs5,000.

The survey noted that artificial jewellery, various kinds of cosmetics, earrings, bangles and mehndi were also being sold at exorbitant rates as an ordinary artificial jewellery set, which a few months ago was available at Rs500 was now costing Rs1,000, a set of good quality bangles was being sold at Rs500 and above, against Rs350-400 before.

Wide-range of gents' readymade clothes was available in the market-a kurta shalwar of an ordinary brand start from Rs3,000 and goes up to Rs5,000 against Rs2,500 to Rs3,500.

A shalwar kameez of an ordinary brand starts from Rs2,500 against Rs1,700.

The prices of men's shoes and sandals of famous brands start from Rs2,000 and goes up to Rs7,500 against Rs1,500 to 6,000.

Different people talking to Business Recorder said that traders in other countries significantly reduce prices at religious festivals, while in Pakistan traders are doing otherwise.

Harris Qureshi, a shopper said that the traders are trying to maximise their profits during Ramzan and Eid days.

Giving example of children's suiting, he added three months ago, "I purchased a readymade suit for my six years old kid at Rs800, and now the same suit at the same shop is being sold at Rs2,200, while branded garment prices are out of the reach of the common people as they start from Rs3,000 a suit, and goes to Rs15,000 per suit," he lamented.

Common man do not have the purchasing power to buy expensive clothes or shoes that is why they prefer to purchase China made low price and low-quality items to celebrate Eid or they even do not purchase anything at all, said Waqas Nisar, a salesman at a garment shop in Raja Bazaar.