Handicraft industry

The local market is expanding fast (turnover Tk 1,000 crore annually); but it suffers from lack of variety and options for consumers under different age and income groups. There appears to be an amateurish approach to market, research, and feedback from the users.

The latter are also rather orthodox, without awareness and publicity campaigns. The standard reply of the empty shops in the shopping areas to new specific designs by customers who have traveled abroad is: "Choley na" (no demand). The seller's psychology is peculiar: not to stock items for which there is low demand. No place for minority buyers!

Then how do style and fashion change? The new Handicraft Institute has to train the producers to be more open-minded and not depend exclusively on tradition; although the Bangladeshi touch has to be there in anything "Made in Bangladesh."

Notice the effect of the RMG industry in our sartorial changes as noticed in the society in the day to day life. The surplus, factory-rejects or unsold readymade garments sold in the footpaths by hawkers are cheap and popular at all economic levels of the society, right from the rickshaw drivers, the students and the office-goers. Some young men of the new generation wear half pants instead of loongee at home. Most of the male readymade dresses are oversize, as the local wearers have smaller built compared to Europeans and the Americans. This is a big market for correction. The labels do not carry enough information. This should be made mandatory by government laws.

What makes one person (consumer) innovative, and the other imitative? This psychology has to be learnt by the marketing managers (producers and sellers) in our new industries, to push the sales of new products. In Dhaka, the customer feedback service is not yet effective, as no importance is attached to it by the management, as the salespersons are not trained or encouraged to report feedbacks.

The small and cottage industries do not (as yet) believe in spending money for advice. Free advice is useless. The government departments have to pay more attention helping the small industries with R&D. I am wearing a cotton fatua claimed to be imported from India, and charged double the local price. As a shopper, how do I know what is the truth?