Because inflation is taking its toll on their pockets, a lot of people, here in Karachi, flock to shop at the makeshift weekly markets for saving some money on their household monthly budget where usually the flea market (Lunda Bazzaar) stalls manage to attract the most of the crowd. I have been visiting such flea markets since almost over 10 years where i shop for almost everything including art work, shoes, toys, clothing and professional kitchen utensils. but i have noticed a lot of people buying from such stalls don’t consider the fact that these items are usually used, even if they are seared they may have been stored improperly or may have been contaminated during storage or in transit and can pose a health hazard if not disinfected and washed properly before use. hare is your guide to what you should and should not buy and how to avoid exposing your self and your family to potential health hazards.

Toys, specially the stuffed ones are the most commonly sighted item at these flea markets, i have seen a lot of people buying them and handing them right away to the kids. We all know that Stuff toys are made of stuffed fabric, which is an absorbent martial, that means it will absorb any liquid they may come in contact with.The stuffing in these soft toys is usually of 100% polyester fiber, which is less absorbent but often at times these toys are stuffed with cotton which is a highly absorbent natural fiber. you must understand that these toys while been used previously, or during storage may have been exposed to chemicals, toxins, or fluids which may contain germs and may prove extremely lethal if digested. When ever you are buying stuffed toys make sure the item is washable. never hand over toys to your kids with out properly washing them with some and a germicidal like Dettol. Hard / Solid toys too may contain some contamination, or may have been exposed to some toxic chemicals so they too should be washed properly with detergent and Dettol before they are handed over too your kids.

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Found on Tanzeelism of a new initiative by Agha’s Supermarket definitely worth commending

Karachi’s famous Agha’s supermarket has come up with an interesting societal marketing idea. They are providing grocery and other day to day items to customers in nicely designed Newspaper bags made by needy women, these newspaper bags are provided to Agha’s by NGO Rana Liaquat Craftsmen Colony Welfare Program (RLCC), such newspaper bags would not only help women keep their homes running but at the same time address the conservation issue as well …. more…..

I recently came across an interesting service: KarachiDeals, which carries information about a host of deals and promotions in telecom, clothing, fast food, apparel, restaurants, travel etc. Being a Karachiite this site would appeal to anyone who wants to find deals in their areas of interest. For Ramadan, many Iftar, Sehri and Eid shopping deals have also been added.

The website has easy navigation with blog like tags and search options but I think they could do more to make it stand out.  The most attractive feature is that it not only lists down latest deals and promotions but also carries images of the ad promoting the deals, adding to the authenticity of what is being said.

Definitely worth checking out and revisit if you are interested in discounts and deals.

It has been incredibly hot these past few days in Karachi. The sun has been shining at its extra-scorching brightest and today there was almost not a single cloud in the sky. The heat in this city is usually at its extremes during this time of the year. It does not leave you alone even inside your house unless you have been running your airconditioners 24/7.

I happen to live on the top floor of my house and I have been noticing that my floor gets much warmer than the lower floors during the daytime. Even at night, the heat does not abate to comfortable levels as the roof radiates all the sun’s energy it absorbed during the day. If you are a resident of the top floor of your house / apartment, you would also have noticed that your home often gets too warm for comfort as your rooftop gets baked to oven hot temperatures every day. You would have been getting high electricity bills as your airconditioner works overtime in order to pump all the extra heat out. But is there any solution to this problem?

How much sun does it take to bake your roof?

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I usually prefer Saturday afternoon for our occasional shopping trips to Supermarkets because at this hour of the day there are usually not too many shoppers and one can move freely through the narrow alleys and shop peacefully, but peace was the least I was to get while shopping yesterday.

I entered the superstore, rolled out a shopping cart and took out the shopping list which we had carefully decided upon at home so to make the most out of our limited financial resources, and I am supposed to strictly follow it.

I pushed my cart towards insecticides, the first item on my list and as soon as I added an aerosol car of a famous insect killer a lady approached me and introduced me to another one of the more powerful but similar product from the same company. I was glad to be informed of a better choice and I opt for the newer and better type of their product But when I approached the other shelve for some soap,  another lady quickly started convincing me to buy one of her companies brand instead. I politely refused, but I only when I had moved to the very next shelve for a bottle of shampoo there was another convincing me to buy a shampoo of her choice. By now I was totally annoyed but I knew she was just doing her job, so I kept my cool and politely told her that I wouldn’t change my mind.

After making a few more stops for coffee, tea, pet food and avoiding another attempt to influence my choice of brand at the dairy section finally I reached the section for edible oil where again a representative for a yet another famous brand was waiting to haunt me, at first she tried convincing me to buy a brand of her choice just this once but when I told her I wouldn’t go for anything but the imported one she asked me why. At this point I was totally in a mood to place an argument, I told her it was the quality and the oil of their brand turns to gel after expiring or exposing to heat, I also told her other reasons, the smell, viscosity, and taste which gives me good reasons not to trust this local brand but when she still wanted me to try a smaller pack of their product I had to tell her sorry in a bit stern tone. 

By the time I reached the checkout counter, I was tired not of all the shopping but of all the annoyance, confusion and arguing for the choices on brands I made.  These companies have literally started pushing their products down our throats and they may not know it but it is really nerve wrecking to argue for every choice we make on the local brands. Being responsible citizens and the targeted consumer it is our responsibility and right to lodge our complaints and voice our concerns to the  respective companies not against those poor marketing representatives the brand conveniently puts on the spot but against such marketing campaigns, when they get too close for comfort.

Since the last two years, authors at Karachi Meroblog have sporadically announced a number of coffee shop openings in the city. Most of these coffee shops are concentrated in Zamzama, but some like Roasters and Kahva are expanding into areas like Tariq Road too.

At the pace the gourmet coffee houses are springing up, one is forced to wonder what market the premium priced coffee providers are catering to, and if the market isn’t already saturated. A quick survey around Zamzama, however, brings a unique insight into the coffee house industry in Karachi.

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There are times when you get frustrated with the system. Things are not delivered in time, post in slow, traffic sucks and consumer services too. It’s too hot and weather is killing you. You’ve a bad headache and do not want to go to office. If you’ve reached it, you want to take an early off. Problems, frustration, part and parcel of a karachiite’s life.

Clearly, we do get frustrated over a lot of factors happening around us. However, seldom one gets saved from a looming issue. This account is of such an incident.

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According to this news item published in a reputed paper, the City Governement has signed a deal for a 47 storey building adjacent to Civic Centre.

The building complex will host 3 shopping malls, a 240 room five star hotel, a 12000-seat call centre, parking for over 2000 cars and will provide employment opportunities to over 50,000 people.

Seriously, great going if this happens, but a 5 star hotel near civic centre?? Do we not have enough “high security” zones thanks to these hotels and consulates?

Consumer Link, a global consumer opinion research firm, has launched itself in Pakistan and is currently recruiting a research panel from all segments of society.

Consumer Link will soon commence conducting surveys that and will carry the users’ opinion to the decision makers of all brands.

To make things a bit more interesting, Consumer Link Pakistan will be conducting prize draws and will be distributing prizes amongst participants of every survey.

From environmental concerns issues pertaining to companies to other societal issues that you feel a brand can help contribute to, Consumer Link is the voice of the consumer.

Those interested in joining the Consumer Link research panel, visit here.