“I have bought so many kitchen utensils from here. They are second-hand but appear almost new and they have brass bottoms. You never know what you’d stumble upon that would be of immense use to you and not very expensive as well. Once I was looking for a frying pan and to my luck, I found one of Prestige at half the price in the market”, said Saira, a resident of North Nazimabad. Saira also told that she gave a set of silverware and tableware to her newly married daughter from the same stall because quality is what matters the most and if you manage to find a good product even if it’s from a roadside Bazar then why spend thousands on cutlery? She also added, ‘The Khan is well aware of the worth of these cutlery items just like customers are and at times, they often refuse to lower the prices but when one starts to walk away, they respond with, “Sister, lelo 100 rupay ki khatir achi cheez na choro”’, she added.

Sasti or achi cheez haasil karkay waqai khushi hoti hai”, said Amna, a regular customer at the bag section in bazar. “This Sunday Bazar has got to be my favorite thing and I look forward to it every week. My kids make fun of me that I’m always excited to go there and fill the already filled in cupboards more, little do they know that the Bazar has designer bags and other valuable items. I found an original Ted Baker clutch once whose retail price is worth $150(RS 20000) but I got it for Rs1500 after little bargaining. Brands like H&M, Michael Kors and Louis Vuitton are very easy to find, however to look for a clean and unstained bag requires time and effort which is worth it.” “The other time, I found an H&M watch all packed in a case and my daughter just went crazy after it even though the glass (acrylic crystal) of it was missing but the Khan knew of its worth and said, ‘Baaji ye H&M ka original ghari hai..50 rupay me upar ka dial lag jayega, itna kia sochna lelo’ and so we ended up buying it for just Rs500. It’s been a year and the watch is still working perfectly and my daughter boasts about it to everyone, said a giggling mother.”

Another customer, a boy also seemed to be a huge fan of this bazar. “I love to play football and this is the third time I’m buying these soccer shoes. It definitely takes time to look for the right pair of football shoes (cleats/studs) that are not worn out but once you get them, a good 6 to 8 months can easily pass in these shoes playing soccer. These are second hand but are often of famous brands such as Nike and Adidas and if I pay Rs1500 for them instead of their original price which is somewhere between Rs12000 to 15000, then 8 months are enough to pass for that value of money”, said Bilal, a youngster at the market. The guy also showed his interest in collecting items like knives, blades and mirrors from stalls here at the Bazar.

A client unveiled her secret to the trendiest Khaadi outfit that she buys from a roadside Bazar. “Why give four thousand for a Kurti when I get the exact same brand for RS1500?” says a woman at the clothing section. “This Bazar has become a go-to place for me twice a week because every time I come here, I manage to find something good. This is the first stall I come to because the Khan here sells clothes of brands like Khaadi, Sana Safinaz, Agha Noor and Sapphire. They are not replicas but original ones with slight defect in them which isn’t even visible. The best variety gets sold on a first-come -first serve basis and that’s why I make my way to this stall early, sometimes helping the sellers unpack their goods, she added with a laugh. This stall has been a savior for my daughter too because readymade Kurtis save time as compared to tailor who usually takes a lot of time and money and even then end up with wrong fittings!”

This blog post will help you guys know how the trend over the years has changed and now people are more open about their shopping from such roadside bazars. A university student, Zoya shared her experience. “I started coming to this Bazar recently, thanks to my university friends who told me about it. I always thought that Sunday Bazars only meant fruits and vegetables until one day I visited it for the same purpose but ended up being surprised by the variety of items being sold out here. The shoe stall and jewelry stall is my favorite because where on earth would you get accessories of brands like Forever21 and Aldo for just 300RS”, exclaimed Zoya, a university student. ‘I have even gifted necklaces and earrings to my friends on their birthdays and they loved it.When one of them asked me if I got it from Accessorize, I did not hesitate and told them right away that it is from Sunday Bazar ’, she added.

Stay tuned for more experiences like these!

So guys, there was a time not long ago when people felt sheepish to admit the fact that they got a certain item from Sunday bazaar because others would judge them for what is known as ‘lunda shopping’. Back in the days people who shopped from roadside bazars were often looked down with humiliating expressions but now the new trend has changed it all. ‘Shop till you drop’ has been taken to a whole new level and the very same people who used to mock others can now be seen shopping in the same bazars. The mentality of people has changed and now they are more likely to disclose if they buy a certain product from Sunday Bazar.

In the next blog, I’ll be bringing out such people forward who manage to buy worthy items at a low cost.

Karachi being a Metropolitan city facilitates people from different ethnicities and provides them with relief in the form of Bazaars where initially, the working classes benefitted from a sheer variety of products at cheap prices but later on the upper class and especially celebrities also managed to find their way into designer bags and shoes. These bazaars known as ‘Mangal Bazar’ ‘Jumma Bazar’ and ‘Itwar Bazar’ are set up in different areas of the city such as North Nazimabad, Gulistan e Johar, Korangi and other areas on the respective days where people go for grocery shopping and other chores which is usually not the case in other cities.

Whoever said that ‘Money cannot buy happiness didn’t obviously know where to shop.’ Do you agree with this? I guess, majority of us do because shopping solves half of the problems, if done right. For most girls, a clothing store feels like a sanctuary, where they are free to express themselves among fancy dresses and shoes and I’m certainly one of them! So, let’s update you guys with the latest fashion trends and people who love shopping from bazars and manage to get extraordinary items at a cheap price.

Thanks for joining me!

Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton