Dhaka's Fulbaria Market: The Wholesale Hub for Most of Bangladesh's Footwear

Fulbaria Super Market-1 and the adjacent Dhaka Trade Center in Dhaka form Bangladesh's largest wholesale footwear market, supplying most of the country's shoe retailers and online shops. Many fashionable shoes seen in showrooms and online stores originate from this market, which significantly influences footwear trends nationwide. The market primarily caters to wholesale buyers, including retail shop owners and new entrepreneurs who purchase shoes in bulk to resell in their own stores or online platforms. For instance, two university students, Md. Naim Mia and Sakawat Hossain, have been successfully selling shoes from their Facebook page 'Pillow Touch' after sourcing them wholesale from this market for the past year. They initially focused on formal shoes but are now expanding to loafers and other styles due to positive customer response.

Fulbaria Super Market houses over 500 footwear shops, with the ground to fourth floors dedicated to stores and the fifth to seventh floors used for storage. The Dhaka Trade Center also features a significant shoe market, particularly for imported footwear. The market offers a vast array of shoe types, including chappals, sandals, sneakers, loafers, casual shoes, boots, and baby shoes, catering to all age groups and genders. Both locally manufactured shoes from areas like Old Dhaka, Siddiquebazar, Savar, Kamrangirchar, and Jurain, as well as imported shoes, are available. Some shoes are assembled locally using imported components, making them more affordable than directly imported ones.

Established businesses like Eagle Samrat Shooz have been operating here for nearly 30 years, maintaining traditional sales methods where transactions occur on the floor. Afzal Shooz Limited's manager, Md. Nasir Uddin, noted that locally made shoes are in higher demand due to their lower prices compared to imported alternatives. Prices range from 170 Taka for children's shoes to 1,500 Taka for men's shoes. Locally produced shoes can be significantly cheaper, with a 1,200 Taka imported design costing around 700 Taka when manufactured domestically. Most shops offer a three-month warranty on their products. The market is busiest in the morning, with buyers arriving early to select goods and depart by evening, operating from 9 AM to 6-8 PM. Transactions are increasingly conducted via phone and online, with shoes sold in pairs or dozens, often requiring minimum orders of six pairs.