Henna, bangles and traffic jams: Eid-ul-Fitr shopping craze intensifies

With Eid-ul-Fitr just around the corner, women and men alike are in the final phase of their shopping, be it clothes, shoes or food items.

Whether it is women or children wishing to get the best outfits, or men buying the perfect kurta shalwar for the joyous occasion, shopping malls and clothing brands see a considerable rush and a spike in their sales.

In the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi, sale and demand of bangles and henna has gone up, as the two items are popular among young girls and women who throng stalls set up especially for Eid.

Farhan Ahmed, who owns a shop at Islamabad's Jinnah Super market, says: "Bangles and henna attract women, irrespective of their age… as they say there’s no Eid without bangles."

Kanwal Khan, who loves to sport henna on every Eid, looked satisfied with “new and unique” henna designs introduced by beauty salons every Eid.

While traditionally henna experts can be found either in salons or offering their services from home, stalls have also been set up in the cities by women henna artists.

Henna expert Mahrukh Khan specialises in offering traditional and contemporary motifs with various kinds of henna.

Traditionally, shopping continues till the `Chand Raat’, and most of the shopping centres of the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi can be seen packed with buyers, especially after Iftar.

With a significant increase in brands offering readymade and bespoke outfits, many customers now find Eid shopping relatively hassle-free. Shopping enthusiast Sana Khan says most people she knows prefer readymade clothes for themselves and their children.

In Quetta, colourful Eid stalls have been set up at various points, offering different kinds of cosmetics, earrings, gleaming bangles, embroidered clothes, jewellery and colourful dresses.

Most of the markets and shopping centres have been illuminated with colourful lights and decorated artistically to attract customers.

Hyderabad, famous all over Pakistan for its bangles, is seeing a peak in shopping, with people thronging almost all shopping areas of Hyderabad including Resham Bazaar, Shahi Bazaar, Cantonment, Qasimabad Shopping Center, Shopping Center and Gul Center.

The high prices of rice, onion, vegetables and other essential commodities this year have hit hard the common people and many are in a fix about how to manage the extra expenditures for Eid shopping with their limited budget.

Talking to APP, some shopkeepers said that though the sales were picking up since Ramazan 20, the buyers say they were disheartened by price hike of all goods this year.

The local and international clothes, footwear, cosmetics, spices and many other commodities have made inroads into many shops and markets in the city.

The footpath markets at busy Resham Bazaar, Cloth Market, Tilak Incline and other busy spots of the city are yet to gain shopping Momentum.

Women unhappy over high rates of cosmetics

Women expressed concerns over the increased rates of cosmetics as well as high charges of beauty salons ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr.

A woman says that the make-up enthusiast in her is overwhelmed seeing the endless range of make-up but finds it difficult to enjoy buying them within her budget.

Shazia, a beauty salon owner in Islamabad, says that her salon used to offer various beauty packages for customers in Ramazan but they had to hike the rates due to the new tax imposed on cosmetic products.

Traffic jams a headache for shopping enthusiasts

Traffic jam in busy markets is another headache for families and individuals, with the rise in number of buyers, traffic jams in busy markets and intersections, particularly in front of shopping centers, are becoming a routine.

Despite special arrangements of traffic police in major cities to avoid congestion in busy markets, traffic mostly remains choked, resulting in traffic jams and inconvenience to drivers and pedestrians alike.

Pictures: APP