Makeshift stalls herald shopping frenzy before Eid

Islamabad : The makeshift stalls have been set up in markets of the twin cities to provide Eid-related products to the customers at comparatively affordable prices.

These stalls especially selling garments, shoes and artificial jewellery have been set up in different areas of Islamabad including Karachi Company, Jinnah Super Market, F-11 Markaz, and F-10 Markaz.

In Rawalpindi, the temporary stalls can be seen in Saddar, Commercial Market, Khyaban-e-Sir Syed, Banni, Raja Bazaar, and Fawara Chowk.

The stalls have a special attraction for those customers who seek products at low rates like garments, sandals, shoes, cosmetics, earrings, gleaming bangles, embroidered clothes, jewellery, handbags, and colourful dresses.

Most of the customers who visit these stalls belong to the lower strata of society that cannot afford to buy products from big shops and shopping malls.

The market stalls often have cheaper goods than other stores. The cash-starved customers are becoming more conscious of their spending habits and of the benefits of shopping from these temporary stalls.

It is pertinent to mention here that the local administration usually never allows setting up makeshift stalls to avoid congestion and obstruction in free movement of the customers. But special permission is granted before Eid occasions to facilitate the low-income customers.

Inam Javaid, a stall holder in Raja Bazaar, said, “We mainly sell products for women and children at cheap rates. All these products are new but never match the quality of those products that are sold at prominent shops.”

He said that Eid shopping is gaining momentum day by day and, hopefully, they would receive enough customers in the coming days.

“The price hike has hit all segments of the society. We still try to sell our products at minimum rates but this is not possible every time,” he said.