SUKANTA HALDER

Sales of clothing items ahead of Pahela Baishakh, the first day of the Bengali new year and the second largest annual shopping season after Eid, have rebounded this year after two subdued seasons marked by overlapping festivities and political uncertainty.

Aside from clothing, sweetmeat and footwear traders are reporting improved sales centring the festival this year, though sales fell short of expectations.

Retailers from about half a dozen fashion brands said that business has picked up, as greater political stability has helped restore consumer confidence and improved footfalls. As Eid-ul-Fitr holidays fell in the third week of March, retailers as well as traditional clothmakers and weavers had at least two weeks to restock and organise collections for Baishakh.

Soumik Das, chief executive officer of Rang Bangladesh, said this year’s sales performance reflects a noticeable improvement compared to the immediate past two seasons.

The gap between Eid-ul-Fitr and Pahela Baishakh was somewhat short, so the fashion house made relatively moderate preparations. However, customer turnout has been encouraging, he said.

“When compared to recent years marked by political unrest, uncertainty, and shrunken consumer spending, this year shows a return toward normal retail behaviour.”

Khalid Mahmood Khan, co-founder of Kay Kraft, a retailer of clothing, accessories, home textiles, handicrafts, and handloom-based products, said this year’s sales have seen encouraging customer turnout, with noticeably higher interest compared to last year.

However, limited shop hours remain a key constraint, he said.

Across the market, wholesalers and saree distributors are reporting an upward trend in sales. At the production level, weavers and artisans are also seeing positive responses from designers and retailers, indicating strong demand for Baishakh clothing, Khan added.

Shaheen Ahmed, owner of Anjan’s, one of the leading fashion brands, said this year’s Pahela Baishakh sales have shown improvement, particularly in terms of customer turnout.