E Cards Outshine Traditional Eid Cards Business In KP

PESHAWAR, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 9th Apr, 2024) The ancient tradition to send Eid cards to relatives and dear ones on joyous occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr had been significantly declined in Peshawar where majority of people were sending SMS and E Cards for greetings.

Due to a boom in IT sector in Pakistan, most of people were now sending greeting electronic cards to their loved ones to convey their best wishes and greetings on Eid.

With the introduction of an inexpensive communication means and excessive use of social media such as SMS, E Cards, WhatsApp and Facebook messages, the business of traditional Eid cards has affected in the lucrative market of Peshawar where people were preferring to greet their loved one by sending a simple SMS or WhatsApp message on Eid day and Chand Raat.

Eid card sellers in the past had arranged many stalls at different areas of Peshawar including Hastnagri, Karimpura, Goara Bazar, Liaquat Bazaar and Qissa Khawani Bazaar to attract customers.

However, with the introduction of IT technology, people prefer shortcut method of sending their wishes and greetings through E-cards, SMS and Whatsapp messages instead of sending traditional Eid cards through post offices and courier services as they consider it expensive, outdated and time consuming exercise.

Umar Khan, a Government employee who was busy in shopping in Liauqat Bazaar told APP that he did not have much time to go to shop and buy old fashioned Eid cards and then send it to friends and relatives through couriers services.

"For the last five years, I select a nice SMS from any website and send it to my friends and relatives to congratulate them on Eid day," he maintained.

"The prayers for someone was most important than sending Eid cards,” he said, adding that money spend on Eid cards can be donated to poor people and orphan people.

The shop owners at Liauqat Bazaar said the trend of buying Eid cards has significantly declined due to boom in IT sector, SMS and 4g, WhatsApp services in Peshawar. They said majority of shopkeepers associated with decades old Eid Cards business have said good bye to it.

The placing orders for special Eid greeting cards has almost come to an end and mostly the corporate sector gets the cards printed these days.

Printers had to hire extra staff for printing and designing of eid cards' as its selling had used to gain pace ahead of Eid.

In these days, mostly senior citizens and traditional people come and purchase eid cards while attendance of students and young lots were almost comes to an end.

Khushal Khan, a student of engineering in a private University in Peshawar said he would send eid greeting SMS to friends and relatives on Eid day as he could not afford to buy expensive Eid cards from pocket money.

He said, "SMS is a cost efficient and a fast way of communication to convey eid greetings to friends, cousins and relatives."

"The electronic cards give us an option to edit text and modify background besides an addition of animation of choice. Such cards are liked especially by youngsters who are quick to adopt new technologies," he remarked.

Khushal said people do not have enough time to buy a card and go to a post office or couriers service to post it in busy life.

The charges of postal and courier services also increased which was behind purchasing power of poor people and white collars.

Most of people, who had been in the business for decades, are now thinking to quit it. A handful of shopkeepers were used to set up makeshift stalls in front of their books shops to sell Eid cards but this is no longer a common practice.

The shops of Eid cards also cut down at Liaquat and Qisakhwani bazaars for which it was once famous for. Very few shops with limited variety and numbers are now available in these areas to quench the thirst of Eid Cards lovers.

Eid card sellers in Qissa Khawani Bazaar said inflation has pushed the card prices up and have no other option but to design quality cards at range of Rs50-150 in the market to attract customers.

Local printing Press owners informed that people used to place orders on the occasion of Eidul Fitr but now only the corporate sector place orders and that too with their regular printers who print stationery for them.

They have urged the KP government to provide special incentives to printing industry for promotion of Eid Cards business in the province.

They said over 20,000 people were associated with printing industry in Peshawar whose business was affected by digital technology and were eyeing to Government's support.

They also urged KP Government to announce a comprehensive financial package for revival of printing press business in the province.

APP/fam