Shoe market shines
The shoe depicts what a person really is. So every person wants to be seen in the best in footwear. And in times of festivals like Eid-ul-Fitr, most people want to buy the latest in footwear fashion. This is why shoemakers and sellers mark the period as the best season to sell and gather the best items.
Md Nazrul Islam, proprietor of Western Shoes at Eastern Mollica in Dhaka, has arranged a collection of footwear for ladies and gents this Eid. The market is situated on Elephant Road, one of the busiest areas in the capital for different styles of shoes.
"I bought shoes of different designs worth Tk 10 lakh before the month of Ramadan. Now I need more shoes for the rest of the month, as demand for shoes never declines," Islam said.
"Monthly sales figures at my shop before the month of Ramadan stood between Tk 110,000 and Tk 115,000. Now the amount will cross the Tk 1,500,000-mark for sure. It's all because of Eid."
He sold shoes worth Tk 50,000 on Monday that was a government holiday, up from Tk 35,000 on the day before. The holiday brought good luck for them.
Most of the shoe sellers in the area said they witnessed customer turnout at a rate that is usually seen during weekends. Abul Hossain, a shop owner at Elephant Road, said he sold shoes worth Tk 60,000 on Monday, which was a little lower than last Friday's sale of Tk 65,000.
There is demand for all types of shoes -- local and imported -- in the market, said Hossain. Islam said he started his business with shoes from importers at City Super Market at Gulistan in Dhaka.
"All kinds of shoes are found there. Some businessmen also make shoes from Siddik Bazar of the same area. The bazar consists of many factories that make shoes on demand," he added.
The businessman said local shoes are gaining popularity in the country, as people have seen a sharp fall in the quality of branded shoes. "There was a time when I could pass a year at school with a branded pair of shoe.
But now, I doubt that," said Razon Mirdha, an apparel businessman. Mirdha said he bought a pair of a branded shoe last year, but the experience was not good.
"It lasted only three months. It's peculiar but I don't think it happens in every case." Islam said some people claim the quality of all kinds of shoes has declined.
"It is true in some cases. Some branded shoe providers are now selling imported Chinese shoes under the same names. The quality of these shoes is not as good."
Bata and Apex also sell their shoes 'on sale'. Islam said this does not affect their sales much. Regular shoes and shoes on sale have separate buyers.
"Big players in the field, like Bata and Apex, are not our competitors. And everyone does not buy the shoes that are on sale," Islam said.
"There are some people who buy shoes 'on sale' and think the pair would last as long as a brand new one. How could that be possible?"
Usually businessmen sell their stocks from last season or faulty products on sale.
"You can't expect a defective shoe to have the same lifeline of a new one. And no one should compare these shoes to the new ones," Islam added.
Moniruddin Ahmed, manager of Bata Bazar at Mirpur 1 in Dhaka, said they do not accept any complains on shoes sold at a discount.
"There is nothing to do. Whenever you step outside the shop after buying a pair of shoes on sale, it is your responsibility from now on." Ahmed said they sell the shoes with a condition 'No claim, no return'.
"If the shoes are not faulty, how could you expect to buy a Tk 1,500 shoe at Tk 1,100?" "But on other shoes, we give one month guarantee. If anything happens to a new shoe within a month of purchase, we will either repair or replace it."
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