As Ramadan unfolds and families prepare for iftar and Eid shopping, supermarket chain Agora is seeing a steady rise in customers and spending, with same-store sales climbing about 10 to 15 per cent during the festive season.
Customer footfall is also increasing, rising roughly 15 per cent compared with a normal month, Agora Chief Operating Officer Khandaker Nur-E-Burhan said in an interview with TIMES.
He said the seasonal surge reflects a shift in consumer buying patterns during Ramadan, when households spend more on food essentials.
“Compared with a normal month, same-store sales during the Ramadan season and the Eid period rise roughly 10 to 15 per cent,” he said.
Much of that growth comes from higher demand for staples used in daily iftar and sehri preparations. Sales of commodities, condiments, fruits and protein-based food items typically rise during Ramadan as families stock up on ingredients for meals throughout the month.
“Commodities, condiments, fruits and protein categories see strong growth during Ramadan,” Burhan said.
However, the increase is not uniform across all product categories.
Demand for personal care products, snacks, impulse-buy items and beverages tends to decline during the fasting month.
“People go out less during Ramadan and schools remain closed, so usage of personal care and snack items falls,” he said. The trend begins to reverse as Eid approaches.
“Two to four days before Eid, when last-minute shopping starts, personal care and cosmetics sales increase again,” he said.
To attract customers during the Ramadan season, supermarkets introduce a range of promotional offers. Selected Ramadan items often come with direct discounts, while campaigns such as buy-one-get-one or buy-two-get-one deals encourage bulk purchases.
Agora also collaborates with banks and payment service providers to provide additional incentives. “We currently have partnerships with more than 22 banks and payment partners, allowing customers to receive extra benefits when making payments,” Burhan said.
Agora currently operates 42 outlets across the country. Burhan said overall sales have also grown partly because the company has opened new outlets over the past year, although same-store performance gives a clearer picture of seasonal demand.
The company is also observing shifts in purchasing patterns amid rising prices. According to Burhan, price increases in some syrup and powdered drink brands have prompted customers to switch to alternatives, leading to weaker sales for certain products.
