Ramadan: Traders lament low sales

By YUSUF MOHAMMED

The month of Ramadan is here again. It is a period when Muslim faithful across the world observe fasting for 29 or 30 days. There is something that comes along with it. That is low sales due to Muslims eating schedule.

Muslims wake up as early as 4:30 in the morning to eat and abstain from food and drinks till the sun sets, which is usually around 7pm.

This shift in consumption of drinks and food has a way of affecting sale of drinks and food in restaurants, hotels roadside and hawkers of snacks like Gala and bread.

Most of these businesses are not open when the Muslims are awake for the morning food called Sahur, and also not open when it is time for Iftar, breaking in the evening.

A popular pepper soup joint called goat hunters on Allen Avenue complained of lack of customers as a result of the fasting. A waitress who refused to mention her name said that from the low turnout in the restaurant, it is clear that most of their customers are Muslims. She said, “Since their fasting started last week, this place has been scanty. It is not as bubbly as it was just two weeks ago.”

Agbo, a very old traditional drink in Nigeria which could be found mainly on the roadside and mostly consumed by those who ply their trade on the street has it downside in the month of Ramadan.

Mrs. Aishat Lawal who plies her trade along Allen Avenue spoke with Business Hallmark. According to her, the drink is mostly bought in the morning by her customers. She is of the view that most people prefer to take it before the day’s job. Since the Ramadan started she sells to fewer people now.

Speaking with this newspaper, while serving a customer, she said, “Agbo is good for general well-being. If you take it every day, you will not be sick. You go strong kampe.  There is Agbo for body pain, waist pain, back pain, general body pain, fever, malaria or sickness in general. If you want reduce sugar in your body, you will take Agbo Jedi. Each cup or nylon is sold for N100. But the only problem now is that many of my customers are fasting so the business is not moving like normal month. Some take at night after breaking, but just a few of them.”

Hawkers of snacks on the roadside have not had it easy too. Although they still make profit, they say it is not as usual. A young girl speaking to Business Hallmark said, “This business thrives during the day. Those that are fasting cannot buy from us during the day. Obviously the sales are not as high as usual.”

A woman who simply gave her name as Mama Blessing sells bean cake, popularly known as Akara. She normally sells in the morning between 7am to 10 am. Due to the fasting, she had to change her work schedule to evenings. Mama Blessing now sells her Akara and pap (ogi) in the evenings when the Muslims break their fast.

“I have many Muslim customers. I usually sell in the morning for about two to three hours. I thought that instead of selling that time in the morning and not making profit like normal days, why don’t I do it in the evening?” she asked.

Asked if she makes the same money she makes in the morning.  She answered, “The difference is not much. But you know in the morning, people come here before going to work.  There are offices around, so their staff stop by before getting to the office. But in the evening when the sun sets, most companies would have closed. All the same, I thank God.”

Aside from the shift in timetable, the biting economy has made matters worse for those who sell raw food and fruits. The level of patronage is not as high as it was a few years ago.

The prices of fruits are not as affordable as they were a few years ago. For instance those who buy two oranges to break at night have reduced it to one.

Traders at Ashade market, Agege were lamenting that they were not making sales because Muslims were not buying their goods. A trader who sells food seasoning, Mrs. Remi Awoyeni said: “We used to look forward to the month of Ramadan because Muslims come to shop for food items.  The few ones that come around now only inquire prices and leave complaining that food items are extremely expensive and there is no money to buy. We are not pleased with slow sales and low patronage we are getting from customers,” she said.

A garri trader at Balogun market also in Lagos Island Local Government Area, Mrs Fatima Awosanya, said that her customers had not being patronizing her in the last three months. She lamented that sales had been very discouraging.

“Before now, we used to anticipate Ramadan rush, which comes once in a year but the story has change,” she said.

The price of a bag of garri, common staple among low income earners, has increased. From N11, 000 a bag sells for N14, 500 depending on the brand.

The popular opinion is that the economy of the country has made the situation worse. With a good economy, Ramadan is not a month to worry about.