Yuletide: Clothing retailers in Kubwa complain of poor patronage

Clothing retailers in Arab Road Market, in Kubwa, Abuja, on Thursday complained of poor patronage , six days to Christmas.

The retailers in an interview with news men blamed the low sales on the current hardship being experienced fin the country.

Mr David Onyebueke, a dealer in children’s’ clothes and shoes, said: ”good sale is determined by civil servants patronage.

”You know many of them are yet to be paid their salaries. And due to the current economic situation, some of them have to think about transportation and feeding first before clothes .

“Last year around this time we had good sales. We are praying that things would improve.

”We urge government to pay civil servants the new minimum wage”.

Another trader, Mrs Ekene Ugochukwu said that some civil servants who patronized her business, wanted to buy on credit.

”They complained of delayed salaries. I can’t afford to sell on credit.

” Things are very hard now and it is not easy for us business owners because we have invested so much in the purchase of our goods, but we are not seeing buyers.

Mrs Daisy Idaghe who sells fairly used clothes for children said people were focusing more on food first and not clothes.

According to Idaghe, business generally has been slow and prices of clothes have also skyrocketed.

“The bail of clothes I bought for N300,000 in 2023 is now N700,000. Things are not easy for everyone and the customers are not coming to buy anything,” she said.

Another trader, Mrs Ezinne Kalu, said that even though patronage was not great, she made some sales.

”I am grateful to God for the little sales I made. Business for me gets better everyday, we the masses also need to pray for the government because the Bible encourages us to do so.

” We need to pray for our leaders for God to touch their hearts to do something that will be beneficial to us all,” she said.