Business: It is 9:30pm and Tek Badhur (35) is still in his shop sewing the pieces of cloth that his friend had cut.

Normally, Zeydrig Tailoring Shop opens at nine in the morning and closes at 7 in the evening. Since last week, Tek Badhur and his friends have been working from 8am and until 10pm.

“We have more customers these days because of Thimphu tshechu and it is the only time we make little more money” said Tek Badhur. “People give us extra money for quick job.”

The shop, which is located in Hongkong market in Thimphu, makes about two ghos, seven tegos, eight wonjus, and more than 10 kiras in a day.

“These days, we are able to make about Nu 4,000 in a day, Nu 2,000 more than normal days.”

The sewing charges depend on the material and the thickness of fabric. However, the price differs with shops by at least Nu 10.

For sewing a tego, Tek Badhur charges Nu 100, and Nu 80 and Nu 50 for sewing a wonju and kira respectively. He charges between Nu 550 and Nu 1,200 for sewing gho depending on the material.

Likewise, M D Alam Tailoring Shop at Centre Point in Thimphu is also doing better this time of the year because of tsechu and long public holidays.  The shop earns more than Nu 5,000 a day.

Jigme Lhendup, 28, has been a tailor at the shop for five years. He makes more than Nu 5,000 every day.

“Business is better during the tshechu holidays,” said Jigme Lhendup. “We make more money from sewing and altering pants than from ghos and kiras.”

However, for tailors like Dechen Wangdi and Jurmey Thechock, who run tailor shops in the main town, business has not improved.

Jurmey Thechock said that usually at this time of the year they are busy. His shop hardly makes Nu 1,000 a day. “We used to make more than this before.”

Dechen Wangdi said that this could be because of proliferation of tailor shops in Thimphu. “Every building in the town has at least one tailoring shop. Competition is stiff.”

On Norzin Lam alone, there are about 21 tailor shops.

Dechen Tshomo

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