Almost all stalls and pavilions selling women’s garments are offering heavy discounts right from the very beginning to lure customers at the month-long Dhaka International Trade Fair 2019 (DITF 2019).

Most of the stalls are selling local brands at the fair. On the sixth day of the fair being held at Dhaka’s Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, most of the foreign outlets are still being built.

This correspondent visited the fair on Monday and saw the stalls and pavilions (selling several branded garments) are going to greater lengths to lure customers. Although there was a thin crowd in the morning as more people walked into the fair ground as the day progressed.

Talking to The Independent, owners of several stalls and pavilions said that they are offering heavy discounts to lure female customers.

Gias Uddin, owner of Samia Fashion, said, “We are offering three-set ‘three pieces’ at Tk 1,500, while the price of one set is Tk 600.”   

Md Raihan, sales executive of Bithi Jamdani, said: “We are selling different types of saris including Jamdani, Katan, Tangail Tat. We offer Jamdani saris for Tk. 450, while three sets of saris are being sold at Tk. 1,200.”

Mamun, in-charge of an Indian stall, said: “Today is the sixth day of the fair. But we haven’t seen the crowd as in last year. We hope that more shoppers will visit the fair in the coming days.”

“We are offering three sets of ‘three pieces’ for women for just Tk. 999, while the price of one set is Tk. 450. We have reduced the price of women’s clothes to attract the shoppers,” said a salesmen of New Nabarupa Textile.

Riad Reza, in-charge of another foreign stall, said: “We are not giving any specific discounts. It depends on customers. Sometimes, we offer 10 per cent and sometime 5 per cent discounts.”

Jarin Akhter, a shopper, said: “Buying cloths from the trade fair has always been cheaper as companies here offer hefty discounts.”

A total of 505 stalls from home and abroad have set up stalls and pavilions. Among them, 49 are from abroad. India, Pakistan, Thailand, Nepal, the UK, the US, Singapore, and many other countries are participating in the fair. Delegates from Saudi Arabia, Nepal, and Japan are also here.

This year, the EPB authorities have set a target to get more export order compared to the previous year. Last year, the expected target of export orders was worth USD 19.46 million.