11 Christmas: Traders complain of low patronage
As Christmas approaches, traders and service providers in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have increased prices of their goods and services.
Increase in the prices of goods and services is a well known tradition every celebration season, because the traders know that people must buy what they need, not regarding the hike in the prices, so as to celebrate with their families.
When Daily Trust Saturday made a market survey at the popular Utako Ultra Modern Market in the FCT, some traders expressed dissatisfaction with poor sales and also faulted the Federal Government for closing the borders.
Some of the traders said the increase of prices was caused by the low income of workers, but that they could not help as acquiring the goods was also a problem, adding that they had to meet their needs too.
The survey shows that the prices of some foodstuff like rice, beans, tomatoes and onions rise when celebrations are around the corner, while most maintain the same prices.
A foodstuff seller, Mr. Haruna Musa, expressed dissatisfaction with the low level of sales and blamed the economy for the situation, further lamenting the low income of most Nigerians.
Musa said, “There is patronage, but it cannot be compared to previous festive periods. During Christmas every year, the market is always crowded, but this year is quite different. There is also hike in the prices of food items, although people have no choice than to buy.”
He lamented that, “Things are hard now, traders spend a lot of money on transport, and after sales we make little profit.”
He added that a bag of rice that sold for N16,000 was now N18,000, a big basket of tomatoes that used to be N8,000 was now N10,000, a bag of pepper N6,000, a bag of onions N18,000, and that the prices of vegetable and palm oils had also shot up.
A fashion designer in the market, Amarachi Chukwu, said this year’s patronage was low due to the way customers were always complaining.
She added that she had never experienced such low patronage during festive periods, attributing the situation to the economic situation of the country.
“People hardly buy materials, talk less of giving it to the tailor,” Amarachi said, and therefore, called on government to help the masses because things were very hard compared to other years.
Mary Okereke who sells children’s clothes said the business was not the way it used to be because customers complained that there was no money.
She said, “Customers that buy four to five dresses now buy just one, saying they will make use of their old clothes,” and prayed that 2019 would be better for everyone.
Mr. Michael Onyedika who sells shoes and clothes said there was low patronage compared to the immediate past Sallah (Eid el-Kabir) celebration.
Mr. Onyedika said, “The prices are the same, they have not changed because of Christmas, I even give my customers discount in order to make sales.”