Sales go brisk at street shops

Street vendors line sidewalks in Dhaka. Consumers' leaning toward low-cost products boosts sales at wayside shops. Photo: STAR

Consumers' leaning towards low-cost items is now a boon for street shops in Dhaka's busy commercial hubs. The city dwellers prefer these shops, scattered hither and thither, to so-called posh ones, as they consider the daily necessities available with street vendors as more affordable.
Abul Kashem, a street vendor at Motijheel, the busiest commercial district, was reckoning his halcyon days as the street buying geared up recently.
He is happy with the daily sales at his makeshift shop. Shirts, underwear, socks and some small items are on sale over there. "I sell different products worth Tk 5000 a day on an average," a smiling Kashem said.
Young bank executives and others are among his customers, he went on.
Previously it was not possible to sell such a big amount in a single day, the street vendor pointed out.
The withdrawal of an embargo on any footpath trading after backtracking from the holiday market system during the caretaker regime has brought a new life in such trading, according to some street vendors. The higher prices of basic commodities in the city's different permanent markets have also led the buyers to these street shops, they said.
Cashing on such a situation, the sales growth on footpaths have increased manifold in busy areas like Motijheel, Dilkusha, Baitual Mokarram Mosque area, Paltan and Gulistan areas.
It was 1:55pm. The North Gate of Baitul Mokarram Mosque was found a little bit rhythmic as a group of six young sellers were enchanting with a slogan: 'Whatever you buy is at Tk 50 a piece.'
Actually, the boys were selling punjabis for the people coming out of the mosque after saying their prayers.
In a few minutes the punjabis were sold out because of the cheaper price.
The number of such street vendors and shops are now on the rise due to urban and rural unemployment problems.
According to an unofficial statistics, more than three lakh street hawkers in the capital are now doing business.
Their businesses also are not out of risks and dangers. Most of the street vendors, from dry fish to pin sellers, have started their business with their own fund as no lending agency came forward to finance them.
Rashedul Islam, another street vendor of garment items at Dilkusha area, pointed to the fact that the financial institutions or banks are not interested to fund them as almost no such vendors have their own addresses.
Islam, reminisces his bad days during the rule of caretaker government. At that time, the holiday market system forced many out of job, as there were only 12 such spots for street vendors in the city.
"It was like a nightmare for me. I could hardly manage square meals for my family members, let alone the house rent," Islam grumbles.
When asked, Bellal Hossain, a commercial official of an export oriented garment office at Motijheel, said, I'm happy that I can buy a shirt at Tk 150 from street vendors. We like these street shops.”
Bellals are many, who are happy with having facilities of buying almost all necessary items on their way to work, although such gathering on the streets is considered a major cause for the chronic traffic jam in Dhaka.

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