Traders accommodate shoppers on Eid eve

The night before the Eid a festive bonanza giving city traders much reason to cheer about. The shopping spree for the Eid festival has buoyed city markets, injecting fresh enthusiasm into the business community. However more cosmetic than calculated, much of the shopping restricts itself to garments, footwear, personal use products and artificial jewellery.

Whether in the bustling city malls of Saddar or Murree Road Malls, there is an evident rush to make last minute buys. Flaunting their latest collections, garments stores say the rush has been typical of most years, starting with a trickle and going up a few days before Eid to a crescendo on the night before Eid, when most shoppers go into a buying binge. This year also as every year there has been a lot of demand for antique work and stones on suits and we had to especially order some at the last moment to meet the crushing demand for the same, say city tailors. Buying new clothes around this time of the year is almost mandatory but the buck doesn't stop there. It goes all the way with shoes and accessories forcing the purse strings to loosen. Footwear is a great crowd puller and a roundup of the city markets indicate that in keeping with the look of the seasons, the shiny flecks have stormed the shops and are selling like hot cakes. Brightly coloured slip-ons are the other great attractions.

The greatest rush of course is on the last night before Eid and shopkeepers often relax closing hours to accommodate the last minute shoppers who spill into the shop as late as well past midnight, just to prolong the fun of Eid shopping. But there is one last item that is generally left for Eid night and that is bangle shopping. While it becomes nigh on impossible to step into the area around the bangle citadel of any market, several shops in the up-market bric-a-brac stores are expecting the greatest rush on the Eid night. Buying bangles the night before Eid is almost a custom with women and young girls as a last minute indulgence and this year it's going to be no different.

The success of trade has introduced several new designs in city markets, which wear the look of classic work. Tailors remain the busiest, working around the clock to satisfy customers who want new clothes for Eid. Women along with their kids, who also want to look the best on Eid day, are seen squeezed into a one-room tailors shops working round the clock at their sewing machines with a measuring tape around their necks. All this is a tinkling reminder that the celebratory spirit has come a-calling.