Hi to the OP:
I did not know about this but after spending some time in Pakistan, I have found some local markets which sell very good quality products. Not necessarily designer stuff but very pretty, sophisticated & good quality. I was on my own & needed a good quality suitcase last year. Checked around with some local people & they referred ‘Ichra’ market to me. Somehow I got there. It had rained a little few days ago so it was not the best time to go & walk inside the market as the streets are very congested, messy, muddy at some parts & quite crowded especially if you go in the evening. On my way inside the market, before I got to the shops selling suitcases, I saw so many shops selling very pretty formal, party, bridal wear. So much variety, beautiful color combination, fabric quality & material used was also so delicate… I wanted to buy all the dresses… I was not there for clothing shopping but still ended up buying 6 unstitched real pretty formal suits which I thought were on very cheap prices (All in PKR.10k). I still had to go further inside the market to find a shop selling good quality suitcases. Before I found one, I saw more shops selling the same suits on even cheaper prices which I had already bought from the beginning of the market… I felt so dumb but still not unhappy.
I also stopped to see some bridals, truly mesmerizing designs & embroidery… Compared them with the stuff we see on online websites & even some designers’ shops. They were way above their stuff. I think you can find some excellent stuff in 1 lac from that market. Inconvenience of walking on messy (Avoid going in rainy season), congested, dirty streets & with obnoxious crowd around is there but worth it in the end. When you spot some shop displaying a nice design, explore more, ask them to show you more designs. The shops are also very small but they’ve got unbelievably beautiful stuff. You also can bargain ALOT even on the most expensive & the best looking bridal in the shop… Be careful paying the right price because new visitors do end up paying double or more than double the actual price. Try to look more local when you visit. Taking with you some locals who have some knowledge about these markets, their stuff & pricing will also help alot.
I ended up paying alot more for the suitcase than its’ actual worth as I found out later. But I still cant forget some of the very fine stuff I saw in clothing on fraction of the prices that we see on online designers’ & other websites. In 1-2 lacs, you can find 2 beautiful dresses (wedding, valima) if not the third one for nikah/mehndi also.
I honestly thought I could do good business if I buy from those shops and sell on some online portals.