Plastic wardrobes gaining popularity

A private university student Sareed Fardaws was purchasing a plastic wardrobe from RFL Best Buy in the capital’s Malibagh area.

He told The Business Post that he came to Dhaka from Mymensingh to study at a university. He is sharing a rented room with his friends.

He needed a single wardrobe to manage his clothes and important documents. So he bought a single wardrobe priced around Tk 2,500, he said.

Asked why choose a plastic wardrobe, not a wooden one, he said, “Bachelors like us do not always stay in one house. I have to stay in Dhaka for a long time and rent rooms in different places. It will be easy to transport a plastic wardrobe when moving. It will not get damaged if it becomes wet.”

Not only Sareed Fardaws but also lower and middle-income people including students and bachelors now prefer plastic wardrobes to wooden ones.

Traders said that plastic wardrobe sales are increasing day by day compared to wardrobes made from wood and processed wood. It is becoming gradually popular due to its ease of portability and maintenance.

A few companies manufacture these plastic wardrobes in Bangladesh including RFL, Bengal, ACI Premio Plastics, Akij, Star and Hemko. The price ranges between Tk 2,500 to Tk 15,000 depending on size and quality, they said.

Munna Ahmed is in the business of selling plastic goods in Dhaka’s Kamrangirchar area. He told The Business Post that most of the people in Dhaka who live in rented houses find it easy to transport plastic wardrobes while shifting homes.

Besides, in wooden wardrobes, there is less space inside due to more thickness of the wood. But plastic is thin so more space is available inside, he said.

Although there was not much demand for it earlier, now he is selling two to three big and small plastic wardrobes every day, he added.

A private company employee Azizur Rahman said that he bought a wooden wardrobe earlier, but it got damaged after being infested by insects. Later, he bought a plastic wardrobe for easy maintenance and protection against insects.

About the infestation, Arman Hossain, manager of a Happy Mart shop in Dhaka’s Mouchak area, told The Business Post that they sell Bengal’s products. Their plastic wardrobe price varies from Tk 4,850 to Tk 11,500 depending on size and quality. They sell an average of 9 to 10 products per month.

Not only in Dhaka but also in village houses people use plastic wardrobes. It is not destroyed or damaged by water. It is easy to clean. Besides, medicine is used when it is made to prevent insects. It keeps the clothes good, he said.

A housewife, Selina Kazi said that she was searching for a plastic wardrobe for her children. Later, she found it in New Market. But she spent more on it because it comes from China.

A dealer of plastic wardrobes Shahnawaz Rony said that their wardrobes are a bit different and kids like them more. Although many of these wardrobes come from China, they are also dealers of Nasir group plastic wardrobes.

He also said that their prices range from Tk 6,100 to Tk 7,000. Their demand for it is increasing day by day. They now sell on average 100 pieces per month.

Mohammad Jinnah, acting manager of a Best Buy shop in Mouchak area, said that people need more money to make a wooden wardrobe. So, plastic wardrobes are preferred by low and middle-income people due to their low prices.

“The price of this product is from Tk 2,500 to Tk 12,500 depending on the size and quality. Our products are sold on an average of 8 to 10 per month,” he added.

The traders claimed that all types of plastic products are now made in Bangladesh. These plastic wardrobes are now going abroad as well and their future potential is huge.