Ramadan usually gives supermarket chain Shwapno a modest double-digit sales lift compared with a regular month, but this year the retailer recorded a sharper 25 per cent increase as stronger customer turnout and panic buying pushed demand higher ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr.
Shwapno Managing Director Sabbir Hasan Nasir said the scale of the increase was unusual compared with previous years, when Ramadan sales growth typically ranges between 5 per cent and 10 per cent over normal monthly levels.
“This year it is a bit better than other years,” he said, referring to Ramadan sales compared with a regular month.
The stronger demand was also reflected in store traffic.
Nasir said footfall at Shwapno outlets rose 14 per cent during Ramadan, while in a typical period the increase generally remains between 2 per cent and 6 per cent.
He said part of the higher demand may have been linked to panic buying driven by wider uncertainty. “There could be some panic buying,” Nasir said, adding that the ongoing Iran war may have created a psychological impact on consumers.
Ramadan normally pushes grocery sales higher as households spend more on food, beverages and household supplies for iftar, sehri and Eid preparations, but this year’s numbers suggest that seasonal demand was amplified by concerns about future availability and prices.
Nasir said several products were not readily available in general markets during the period. “When we saw signs of panic buying, we introduced rationing so that customers could still get the products,” he said.
The company imposed rationing on selected items after noticing unusual buying patterns in order to ensure wider product availability across its stores. Nasir said Shwapno also tried to maintain stable pricing during the period.
“We try to maintain fair prices and control increases,” he said. Retailers say the Ramadan–Eid period remains the most important shopping season for grocery chains in Bangladesh as households increase spending on food and household goods during the festival period.
For Shwapno, the 25 per cent sales growth and 14 per cent rise in footfall highlight how Ramadan demand can intensify when seasonal shopping is combined with consumer anxiety and supply pressures in the broader market.
