Second-hand shoes a big draw for Raya

Amazing deals: Khairy (right) with his partner Ibrahim Hassan (left) showing Amiruddin and his family shoes at his store in Bandar Perda, Bukit Mertajam.

BUTTERWORTH: Second-hand? Pre-loved? Call it what you want but for the family of Amiruddin Muhamad Nawawi, it is part of their baju Raya.

“These are branded shoes and the price is reasonable,” said Amiruddin about his shopping trip to a store in Bukit Mertajam that sells pre-owned footwear from labels such as Adidas, Timberland, Nike, The North Face and Vans.

“We come here every year for the shoes,” said the 47-year-old who works with a private security firm in Kulim Bandar Baru.

As for clothes, he said his family would buy them from nearby departmental stores.

Khairy Abu Seman, who owns the second-­hand branded shoe store, said that business had been good with “thousands of customers” each day.

“I have been doing business for 15 years. Every year, the number of customers in my shop would increase by 100% during Rama­dan,” he said.

His shop, Khai Bundle, opens from 7pm to 3am during the fasting month.

“More people have been coming to do their last-minute shopping,” said Khairy when met at his shop.

“Original branded shoes, which were once priced between RM400 and RM500, are available for between RM80 and RM100 now, depending on their condition,” he added.

With many Malaysians already on holiday now and doing their last-minute Raya shopping, many stores are crowded.

One of them is Kharani Jalaluddin, 29, who was spotted at a textile shop in Megamall Pinang with her nine-year-old son.

“I have just returned to my hometown in Butterworth from Kangar, where I work in a government department. I am only able to do my shopping now as I could not get off from work earlier,” said the single mother.

“I had my baju kebaya tailored in Kangar two months back and I have bought clothes for my parents. But I have yet to get clothes for my son. I decided to look for it here as the choices are better.”- Star