Sales of footwear items, like clothing, are rising in the city markets ahead of the Eid-ul-Fitr. Besides local brands such as Apex, Bata, Bay, Zeils, Zenith in the country, imported footwear, especially Chinese products, is in high demand for its attractive and diverse design. Locally-produced footwear, however, is competing well with international brands attracting substantial customers, especially in the gents and ladies footwear segments. In case of kids footwear, Chinese products are on top of customer choice. A wide range of footwear for gents, ladies and kids made of leather, canvas and clothes, rubber, plastics, artificial leather and polyurethanes are available in the markets. Apex is offering price for men shoe Tk 1,650 to 14,990, sandals Tk 590 to 9,990, Women sandal is priced at Tk 590 to 3,990 and women shoe priced from 690 to 2,990 and kids shoe and sandals are priced within 490 to 2,490 for Eid-ul-Fitr. Bata is offering 10 per cent discounts on all products and offering men sandal at 690-3,990, shoe at 1,490-3,990, women sandals at Tk 590-2,190 and shoe at 550-1,390 and for kids sandals and shoes are priced between Tk 250 and 1,690. Bata’s special segment Hush puppies is priced at 2,190 to 13,990 in the Eid market this year. Bay Emporium, another key player in the footwear market, has offered a wide range of footwear for men sandals and shoes priced at Tk 690 to 3,090, women sandals and shoes Tk 390 to 2,190 and kids sandals and shoes are priced Tk 390 to 1,790 on the occasion of holy Eid-ul-Fitr. Shoppers’ crowd is growing in the retail outlets of branded footwear at Elephant road, Bashundhara City Shopping Complex, New Market, Gulshan City Corporation markets, Eastern Plaza, Concord Twin Towers, Palwell Super Market, City Heart shopping complex and other areas in the city. On the other hand, wholesale markets of the city like Gazi Bahaban, Gulistan Fulbaria Super Market, Gulistan Hawkers’ Market, Gulistan Trade Centre, Chalkbazar, Chadnighat, and Sadarghat footwear dealers are also passing busy time supplying goods for the city and rural markets as 90 per cent of the footwear is delivered from Dhaka to other parts of the country. Md Dulal Hossain, store manager of Bay Emporium Ltd at Kakrail, told the FE that this year’s sales and demand are better than earlier years, hoping sales target would be fulfilled this year. “Bay has increased its product lines at affordable prices considering all customers with convenient store locations around the country,” he added. Higher and middle-class consumers are relying on shoe stores of shopping malls and brand stores in the country, while low income consumers are mostly relying on non-branded stores and footpaths of the city to source most important outfit component during Eid-ul-Fitr. With a population of 161.20 million, Bangladesh’s foot wear market is fairly large, with domestic production is valued at Tk 17 billion. Roughly 6.0 million pairs of leather footwear are sold internally, while around 45 per cent of local production is exported.
