id has always brought crowds to shopping centres and street vendors every year. Traffic jams are common as Karachi’s 25 million strong population prepares for Eid festivities. However, shopkeepers this year have complaints about the lacklustre atmosphere, as the people’s purchasing power has diminished due to recession and rising inflation.

A significant percentage of Pakistan’s population lives below the poverty line. The situation got exacerbated by Covid-19.

Over the month of Ramazan, people adopted strict austerity and made do with the bare minimum. Eid-ul-Fitr, the largest religious festival for Muslims, is no different.

“I purchased a ready-to-wear ladies suit with simple embellishment for 3,000 rupees,” says Sameena, 50, a shopper at Karimabad Market. “The prices of women’s clothing, shoes and cosmetics have become far too high, and it is hard to buy new clothes for every family member on a limited budget,” she tells The News on Sunday.

“I have two daughters and three sons, but I can only afford to shop for three of my children with a budget of 10,000 rupees,” laments Sameena, adding that it is no longer financially feasible to buy new clothes for Eid as they would rather buy groceries. “I know that a lot of people will not wear new clothes for Eid this year,” she concludes.

Liaquatabad Market, Karimabad and Water Pump Market are popular shopping spots for working and middle-class families. Due to the wide variety of goods on offer, it is easier for shoppers to find affordable options. Tariq Road, KDA Market, Gulshan-i-Iqbal and DHA, among others, remain unaffordable for most of the city’s population.

Mustafa, 58, a garments shop owner in Zainab Market, says, “People used to purchase four to five outfits in a single visit. Now they purchase two or three outfits due to the economic situation.”

“Most people visit the market after taraweeh prayers to shop for Eid. However, there is less of a crowd this year,” says Mustafa.

“The prices of ready-to-wear clothes make it hard for me to shop for my daughters,” says Shehzad, 45, a daily wager. “I make 30,000 rupees per month, and spend 18,000 rupees on groceries and utilities. There is no room for unplanned spending in our budget, and I cannot fulfil my entire family’s desire to wear new clothes this year, which is why we have only purchased some clothes and accessories for the two children,” he explains.

“I make 30,000 rupees per month, and spend 18,000 rupees on groceries and utilities. There is no room for unplanned spending in our budget, and I cannot fulfil my entire family’s desire to wear new clothes this year, which is why we have only purchased some clothes and accessories for the two children.”

“A stitched kurta shalwar costs 1,800 rupees at the Cooperative Market,” says Amir Khan, 47, a resident of the FC area. According to Khan, the same outfit cost 1,400 rupees last year, and that unstitched clothing is also expensive due to tailoring costs.

“The sale of unstitched clothing has declined over the past few years,” says Muhammad Said, 47, a clothing vendor. He says that average quality, unstitched suits usually range from 1,500-2,000 rupees, with 1,200 rupees for stitching.

“People have different priorities now and prefer ready-to-wear clothing for Eid. In the past, people would purchase unstitched suits and get them stitched by their favourite tailors, but this trend is beginning to change,” says Said.

Rao Younis, a tailor in Liaquatabad, has a very tall order to fulfil. “I stopped taking orders in the middle of Ramazan. I do not have the capacity to fulfil every order that comes my way,” he says. According to Younis, a shortage of tailors and the constant power outages make it hard for him to operate on a larger scale.

“We usually receive orders during the first 15 days of Ramazan and charge 1,200 to 1,500 rupees for a simple shalwar kamees. We have to keep working with 12 hours of power outage and I am always stressed about not finishing the orders on time,” he says.

Younis states that tailoring is still popular amongst those looking for customisation and proper sizing. “In low-income areas of the city, stitching costs 1,000-1,200 for a simple job. In posh areas, it costs twice as much. A stitched shirt with some light embroidery will cost you 3,000 rupees,” he concludes.

According to Atiq Meer, chairman of All Karachi Tajir Ittehad, the unstable political situation has affected shopping habits amongst consumers. Furthermore, he says, it has impacted investment for traders as well. ”The purchasing power of a majority of the population all over Pakistan has decreased after the pandemic. A simple women’s outfit costs 2,500 rupees. For a family with 6 members, the cost of clothing, accessories and shoes for Eid is at least 25,000 rupees,” he says.

“The Eid-ul-Fitr merchandise sales in previous years have hit Rs 30 billion. Thus far, te figure for this year appears to be about Rs 25 billion,” says Meer.

The writer is a freelance journalist based in Karachi. He can be reached on Twitter @Zafar_Khan5