Jannatul Islam  

The number of shoppers at online shops in the country has been rising alongside the crowd at traditional stores ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr, one of the largest religious festivals of the Muslims.

The online shopping has become popular in recent years as it gives a relief to city dwellers who are habituated to waiting long in traffic gridlock.
Online traders claimed that they experienced almost double sale in the month of Ramadan.

According to businesses, around Tk 100 crore was transacted in the month of Ramadan while the e-commerce sites in the country usually deal around Tk 50 crore in a month.

The number of online shoppers has been increased in the country following increased penetration of internet and smart phone. Mostly youths and jobholders prefer online shopping to save time.

There are over one thousand e-commerce sites in the country. Of them, around 20 entities are organised and they transact money through general banking system.

Country's e-commerce market places are receiving over 20,000 online purchase orders in a day before Eid this year while they got nearly 10,000 orders in a day during Ramadan last year, according to market insiders.

Besides, several thousand entrepreneurs are operating business using social media platform, especially Facebook, which are uncovered in general banking channel.
Bangladesh Association of Software and Information Services (BASIS) and E-Commerce Association of Bangladesh (E-Cab) are representing most of the e-commerce firms in the country.

BASIS former President Fahim Mashroor said buyers now prefer online stores to avoid usual gridlock on city roads especially in the month of Ramadan.

“E-commerce players in the country deal around Tk 50 crore per month while the figure almost doubled in the month of Ramadan this year. The sector experienced two times growth during Ramadan,” Fahim Mashroor told the daily sun.

Mashroor also mentioned that there are thousands of e-commerce initiatives on Facebook platforms which are not covered in the banking channel.

The buyers at online shops made their payments through bank cards and mobile financial services which have offered special waivers on payment.

Users of bKash mobile application get maximum 25 percent discount on payment at online and offline stores marking the occasion of Eid.

Priyoshop dotcom Chief Executive Asikul Alam Khan said the football world cup has brought extra sale as online stores are experiencing huge sale of jerseys.

Global payment gateway Mastercard initiated campaign styled London Calling to promote digital transaction during Ramadan and users will get chance of a foreign trip.

“During the festive month of Ramadan and Eid, people tend to spend more by eating out for Iftar and Sehri, and in shopping for Eid-ul-Fitr. That is why we are so excited to introduce various campaigns for our cardholders,” Syed Mohammad Kamal, country manager of Master Card, told the daily sun.

As most of the e-commerce sites are based on Facebook, advertisements for products on the popular social networking site have also gone up in recent times.