At the advent of the winter season many people, especially the low-income group, have started to buy warm clothes.
In the meantime, the sudden cold wave and rainfall in the last few days created a huge demand for warm clothes in the capital city. For this, vendors on the sidewalk are found selling low cost clothing.
Sales of warm clothes and blankets have already begun at many shops set up on footpaths in different areas of the capital ahead of the winter. Men and women of all ages are thronging on the footpath vendors to buy different warm clothes, including blanket, jackets, sweaters, headgears, mufflers, scarfs and wrappers.
Makeshift shops near Baitul Mukarram, New Market, Purana Paltan, GPO, Mirpur, Mohammadpur, Farmgate and Sadarghat areas have stored blankets and other warm clothes.
Traders said they have already started selling these items but the sales are yet to pick up. Most of the limited income groups were seen buying warm clothes at cheaper rates from makeshift shops to protect themselves from the rigours of winter.
A security guard Nur Miah of Mogbazar said that he had bought some woolen clothes for his children from a vendor on footpath which he described as good quality and comfortable to wear.
Many shops in uptown Gulshan were found selling second hand clothes that have been drawing a large number of buyers of the middle and the lower income people.
Many traders said that the sale of warm clothes is now low bt expects to pick up with increasing cold weather.
Street hawker Abdul Baset said “I sold some second-hand warm clothes at low cost, which are higher in demand among the poor. I collect these from Chittagong and sell in Dhaka’s road side every year. My customers are basically from low and limited-income groups, including day-labourers and rickshaw-pullers.”
“I am selling near about 200 pieces of warm clothes per day which is worth approximately Tk 30,000. With time my sale is increasing. This month so far I sold twice as many I sold last month,” he added.
Some people are found to purchase warm clothes in advance, as they have affordability to purchase those at lower prices in the beginning of winter.
Many traders also expressed fears of sales going down speculating rise in coronavirus infection rates.
Maria Begum of Begubari slum said, “We have been suffering in the cold over the last few days. So, I have come to buy some warm clothes for my family.”
