Traders say sales may more than double this year
Footpath shops see soaring sales as low-income people rush to buy cheap winter clothes amid a severe cold wave. The photo was taken recently in Lalmonirhat town’s BDR Railgate area. Photo: S DILIP ROY
As a prolonged cold wave grips the country, people in the Rangpur division are suffering the most, with temperatures dropping to extreme lows. The intense chill has driven a sharp rise in demand for winter clothing, with many underprivileged residents relying on "Fata Company" shops to keep warm.
"Fata Company"—a locally popular, humorous term in Rangpur—refers to seasonal footpath shops where hawkers sell low-cost winter clothing, often second-hand or factory-defective garments. While similar shops operate across the country under different names, this year their sales have surged due to the unusually severe cold.
Day labourers, farmers, the destitute, and low-income people, as well as a section of the middle class, are shopping at these shops. Traders estimate that transactions could more than double this year in the Rangpur division alone.
These shops are set up temporarily near railway stations, bus terminals, footpaths, roadsides, and other crowded areas. In Rangpur city, the Alamnagar and Station areas are the largest hubs, hosting over a hundred shops selling winter clothes at both retail and wholesale levels.Retailers from Rangpur, Dinajpur, Panchagarh, Thakurgaon, Kurigram, Lalmonirhat, Gaibandha, and Nilphamari buy goods here at low prices to supply their own areas, creating a regional winter clothing supply chain.
Caps and mufflers sell for Tk 20 to Tk 80, sweaters, jackets, and shawls for Tk 100 to Tk 300, and blankets for Tk 300 to Tk 600. By contrast, similar items in garment stores or malls cost five to seven times more
At these shops, caps and mufflers sell for Tk 20 to Tk 80, sweaters, jackets, and shawls for Tk 100 to Tk 300, and blankets for Tk 300 to Tk 600. By contrast, similar items in garment stores or malls cost five to seven times more. Traders say profit per item is small, but high sales volumes ensure reasonable overall earnings.
TRADERS SEE RECORD SALES
Mansur Ali Bepari, 65, a trader from the Station area of Rangpur city, said, "I have been in this business for nearly 30 years. Last winter, my sales were around Tk 15 lakh. This season, my sales had already crossed Tk 24 lakh by January 4, and I hope they will reach Tk 30 to Tk 35 lakh by the end of winter."
"We bring winter clothing from Dhaka and Chattogram at low prices and sell them at retail and wholesale. The profit per item is small, but sales volume is high -- that is the main strategy of our business."
Afzal Uddin, 55, a trader from Alamnagar, said he stocked winter clothing worth Tk 9 lakh in November, which sold out by December 20. He later brought in goods worth Tk 15 lakh, and more than half have already been sold, with demand for old winter clothing unusually high this year.
Atoar Rahman, 50, another trader, said, "In previous years, each district had 60-70 "Fata Company" shops. This year, the number has increased to 100-120, with each shop holding goods worth more than Tk 2 lakh on average. Transactions in Rangpur division used to be around Tk 8 crore and could double this year."
Azizar Rahman, 50, a trader from Kurigram town, said he sells more than 400 pieces of old winter clothing every day on average.
He added that without these shops, low-income people would struggle even more, and because the cold is unusually severe this year, even middle-class families are coming to such shops, further boosting sales.
Rishan Islam, a garment shop owner in Rangpur city, said, "We do not sell any winter clothing for less than Tk 1,000. Although the quality is better, many customers are shifting to footpath shops because of the price difference."
Farmer Mokbul Hossain, 60, from Chilmari upazila in Kurigram, said he bought eight sweaters, ten jackets, four mufflers, six caps, and four blankets for his 12-member family from these budget shops for Tk 7,200, adding that if he had bought new items, it would have cost at least Tk 40,000.
Day labourer Akter Ali, 55, from Lalmonirhat, added, "We cannot afford new warm clothes from stores. If these shops did not exist, it would be very difficult to survive the cold. They are a blessing for poor people."
Sirajul Haque, 60, from Rangpur city, said winter clothing is cheap at "Fata Company" shops, so many people have bought three or four items each. He added that it is impossible to buy all warm clothes from stores because they are very expensive.
Rangpur Weather Office In-Charge and meteorologist Mostafizur Rahman said, "Since December 19, minimum temperatures in Rangpur division have ranged between 9.6 and 12 degrees Celsius. With persistent fog and cold winds, the cold is being felt more intensely, and such weather may continue for several more days."
