As the mercury has started falling at the advent of winter, winter cloth trade has gathered momentum in Dhaka city's dress markets.
Talking to wholesalers on Monday, the FE found retailers, mostly from the country's north, purchasing and packing winter wear and blankets.
They will sell the stuff in their respective as winter has already gripped the northerners.
Day temperature has started falling this week in different places of the country. It will fall further in the coming days, according to weather forecasters.
A trader at Bangabazar market told the FE that they are happy seeing a rising trend in the sale of warm clothes just before the start of the winter.
But he admitted that the price of the blanket is a little bit high compared to last year's due to increased production cost, raw materials and other costs.
The Bangabazar traders are now busy selling blankets and other gear meant to withstand the rigours of a harsh winter.
Some dealers were preparing blanket-packed cartons to be sent to different districts by courier.
Apart from selling foreign blankets, mainly from China and Korea, the locally-made blankets are also in high demand at the markets.
The wholesale price of different varieties of foreign blankets per piece ranges from Tk 3,000 to Tk 4,800, depending on their quality.
On the other hand, home-grown blanket per piece ranges between Tk 300 and Tk 700, depending on their quality.
Like wholesalers, the retailers at different shopping malls are also doing a roaring trade as customers are making good winter buys.
Retail traders at Baitul Mokarram Mosque Market said that the prices of imported blankets this year are high than that to the previous year.
Md Khalilullah, a merchant at the market, is selling a large-sized Korean-made blanket between Tk 4,500 and 5,000 this year.
The price was between Tk 3,500 and Tk 4,000 last year, he told the FE.
Jakir Sikder, a trader at Gulistan market, said financial transaction has been almost nil in the past few months due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
He expects a good sale of warm clothes this year due to the initial good response from buyers.
Traders at Noor Jahan market said they are selling export-quality jackets, sweaters and other menswear at reasonable rates.
"We're selling winter and other gents' items in affordable prices," stated trader Rana of the market.
He said they are selling a single piece of an export-quality jacket between Tk 1,200 and Tk 1,500. A piece of normal jacket retails at Tk 600-800.
People on low or limited incomes are also busy purchasing second-hand sweater, jacket and other warm clothes with reasonable prices from footpath outlets.
Hawkers near Dhaka New Market, Dhaka College, Elephant Road, Purana Paltan and Baitul Mokarram sell the products.
