SMS replaces Eid cards

[Naveed Yaseen]

By Jawwad Rizvi
The tradition of sending Eid cards to one’s near and dear ones is dying out under the influence of rising inflation and ever-increasing technological use.

In the past, people started buying Eid cards with the start of Ramazan. Some people who had a vast social circle even got their own cards published. The trend of placing orders for special Eid greeting cards has almost come to an end. Today, only the corporate sector gets the cards printed.

The cards have been replaced by SMSs and emails and e-cards. Electronic cards give users an option to edit text and modify the background besides the addition of animation of one’s choice. Such sorts of cards are liked especially by youngsters who are quick to adopt new technologies.

Finding new ways to wish Eid has affected the business of the card industry. In the recent past, people used to prepare the lists of friends, relatives and others for sending Eid cards. The selection of the cards depended on the nature of relationship.

Now, people do not have time to buy a card and go to a post office to post it. People like to send SMSs containing texts, pictures or animations to greet their relatives and friends. SMSs start circulating with the sighting of the moon.

A survey conducted by The News showed that people who had been in the business of selling Eid cards for decades, had now quit it. Similarly, shopkeepers used to set up makeshift stalls in front of their shops to sell Eid cards but this is no longer a common practice.

Once, Eid card stalls used to do a roaring business at the Moon Market in Allama Iqbal Town. There used to be eight to 10 stalls in every street but now there are not more than 10 stalls selling Eid cards in the whole market. The situation is similar at almost all small and big shopping markets in the City.

Bangles, henna, jewellery and other items are selling at makeshift stalls.

At some stalls, Eid cards are available in a limited number. The majority of the stallholders who had purchased a limited number of Eid cards are finding it difficult to clear their stocks. In Urdu Bazaar and Shah Alam Market, the number of Eid card stalls has declined and vendors are selling the old cards in new packing.

Eid card sellers in Shah Alam Market say the rampant inflation has pushed the card prices up. In the past, a good quality card was available for Rs 6 to Rs 10 in the wholesale and in the retail the stall holders charged Rs 15 to Rs 25 per card. But now, the wholesale price of a good quality cards has reached Rs 20 to Rs 35 per piece and in retail it is sold for Rs 35 to Rs 50.

People avoid buying Eid cards for Rs 50 per piece and prefer to wish people through SMSs as it costs less. People subscribe to special packages offering unlimited SMSs to wish people on special occasions such as Eid.

Shoaib of Gil Art at Shah Alam Market says the business of publishing Eid greeting cards has nosedived due to rising inflation. “The cost of paper, card, polythene and other materials has increased by 60 to 70 per cent as compared to the last year,” he says, adding that the frequent power outages have also affected the business. Sadiq Iqbal of Ideal Card Publishers says Eid card publishing activities used to start two months before Ramazan but now publishers try to dispose of their old stocks rather than printing new cards.

Khadim Hussain of Diamond Papers Store says that people used to place orders for Eid cards but now only the corporate sector places orders and that too with their regular printers who print stationery for them.

“The majority of people have quit the business of printing the cards,” he says.

Muhammad Zahid of Ilyas Printing Press at Shah Alam says printing of Eid cards for open market is very limited now, as the sale of the cards has seen a decline.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=135927