RAMADAN DROPS SALES

 RAMADAN: FASTING DROPS SALES

                          ...TRADERS COMPLAIN OF POOR PATRONAGE

            The Islamic fasting period which started on July 8, has witnessed downfall in the sales of goods and services among numerous traders within the city.

            The Ramadan period which is a Holy month for the Muslims has been a challenging month for eateries, hawkers and relaxation spot (bear parlor).

            The issue of drop in sales have been deduced from the fact that the Muslim brethrens have limited their way in consuming food as well as abstaining from sinful lifestyle.

            Visiting some eateries and markets in Ojo-Alaba and Alabarago during the weekend, it was surveyed that there has been drop in patronage as some traders in the shops and on the street complained of low profit as it usually was during normal circumstance.

            In an interview with Iya Ibeji, a food seller in LASU, she said that there are no customers as before. "Since the Ramadan started, we do not use to have customers coming in and out, unlike before when all seats would have been filled and we will be begging our customers to hurry up because of other customers who wants to eat", she lamented.

            Speaking with pure water and bottle water sellers, they explained in grief saying that the Ramadan has cost them hard time.

            Restaurants were not left out of the patronage drought. It was discovered that some fast food eateries in the society also explained that the situation had become bad as customers now take advantage of the Ramadan period to save their earned money.

            A visit to Item 7 restaurant at Handset Village, inside Alaba market, one of the sellers complained that sales have been like grains since the Muslims engaged in their Holy fasting.

"It has been like this since the Ramadan started. Some of my colleagues do not even stand up from their seat to sell to customers because they are few".

            "Before the Ramadan, i could boast of at least many customers rushing in and out. Sometimes we close after Alaba closing market hour. It has been bad now that we do not cook the amount of food we used to before".

            In a conversation with a woman, who sells tomatoes across the road at Ojo market, she lamented on how buying and selling moved down during the day.

            "I no dey come out for daytime because people no de come market buy market like before. This one wey Ramadan don come like this, na evening time i dey carry my market come out because na that time people dey close from market and those wey dey fast go buy wetin them go cook for night. Things no dey go as before", she narrated.

            While business activities went very low for traders within the area, it was not so for others who sells eatable stuffs.

            According to a source, some customers who buy food sometimes, three times a day have limited the habit of doing that because some are saving money.

            A CD seller said, "I do not eat like before again because there is no money in town and this Ramadan period have given me an opportunity to save money".

            Many traders have suffered loss in their business while some in other area of their business have made profit in this month of Ramadan.