Eid boosts punjabi sales
Four years ago, Saykat Hassan began wearing punjabi. Initially, it was just occasional. Now, the 24-year-old puts it on quite frequently.
“It is very easy to wear and I feel good when I wear it,” said Saykat, who recently obtained his postgraduate degree from Dhaka University.
Hassan is hardly alone. Today, many young people opt to wear punjabis casually, which was once meant for elderly citizens. They wear it not only during festivals like Eid but in their day-to-day lives as well.
Much of the credit goes to the hundreds of small and medium fashion boutiques, who have given the humble clothing item a new lease of life. Unsurprisingly, its demand is increasing gradually.
“A huge percentage of the population is young. They have become the main driving force behind its increased demand in recent years,” said Mohammad Abdur Rouf, chief operating officer of Aarong, the country's leading fashion boutique and lifestyle brand.
He said people are getting more festival-focused by the day. They are looking for clothes that are linked to the spirit of a festival or occasion.
The actual figures for the annual market size and growth are hard to find, but operators said the demand for punjabis has grown manifold in the past two decades, spurred by rising fashion consciousness among people from middle and upper-income brackets.The market for punjabis expands by more than 20 percent a year and about eight crore pieces are sold annually, according to the Aarong senior executive. “The upper income group, who were once least enthusiastic about the traditional outfit, are also showing interest,” he said.
The Eid is the main season for punjabi sales, although the traditional wear has gained popularity among men on other social and cultural occasions as well. Rouf said 60 percent of the annual sales for punjabi takes place on the eve of Eid.
Aarong sold 2.25 lakh pieces of punjabis during Eid last year. This time, it is aiming to sell 2.5 lakh pieces, he said.
Other fashion houses too are focusing more on punjabis to tap the increasing demand.
Sadakalo, a local fashion house that works with only black and white colour, aims to make 24,000 pieces of punjabi this year, up from 20,000 a year ago.
Three years ago, Sadakalo tailored 17,000 punjabis, according to its Managing Director Azharul Haque Azad.
“There has been impressive growth in the punjabi segment because of changes in patterns, designs and cutting,” said Azad, also the president of Fashion Entrepreneurs Association of Bangladesh.
Soap operas and movies broadcast by Indian television channels and local channels have also helped in creating a room for punjabis in men's wardrobes. “The punjabi has emerged as a fashion item in the subcontinent,” said Azad.
Kay Kraft, a fashion boutique, increased its punjabi production to 45,000 pieces last year, up from around 40,000 pieces the year before.
It is set to increase its production further this year, according to Monjur Uddin, marketing officer of Kay Kraft.
“In the past, the youth would not wear punjabi without an occasion. But today, they simply love to be dressed in punjabis,” said Soumik Das, managing partner of Rang, another fashion boutique.
Saykat is also brand conscious. Usually, he buys punjabis from branded stores housed in Aziz Supermarket.
He is planning to get some new punjabis to enrich his collections.
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