As the Covid-19 pandemic takes hold in Pakistan, much like the population, businesses are going in retreat, curling up in a corner and trying to brave out this unexpected storm. Things were bad as it was, and there were only moments of hope and small glimmers of businesses fighting back and trying their best in an otherwise faltering economy.
Even before Covid-19 has reached its peak globally, signs of the most major recession in a century are setting in. The worst hit have been retailers, with exports halted, stores shut down and online delivery systems in disarray. Small businesses will shut down, there will be mass unemployment, and empires will crumble.
In the middle of it all, the only businesses that have a chance at making it through without complete destruction are the ones that will keep calm, keep their eye on the ball, and see this time through with as much poise and grace as possible.
One retail brand mulling these questions is So Kamal, the trailblazing fashion company that has made its presence felt in Pakistan’s constantly burgeoning lawn and clothing market. Had the current pandemic not reared its ugly head, So Kamal and its competitors such as Gul Ahmed, Sapphire, AlKaram Studio and others would have been heading into an ugly battle of competitive winter clearance sales and new prints hitting their stores for the summer season. And even if the fear of illness had not deterred those hunting for the best lawn deals, the fact that all stores are closed now will mean eerie silence.
No videos of customers jostling and pushing to get three piece suits and queues outside Sapphire stores will just be another small way that the world will be different this year. And while there should be little doubt that eventually, things will return to normal, one wonders just how debilitating this virus will be.
Will the same brands still be around by next summer if the virus is gone by then? More importantly, even if the brands are still around, will there be the same demand? Or will we see a slow death in what was until last year a significant assertion of local women’s fashion interests?
Profit sat down with So Kamal’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Erum Ahmad, to talk fashion, the retails market, the future, and how the brand is planning on staying afloat during this pandemic, and what silver linings they are possibly looking at.
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