The Nation Newspaper

Category: Shopping

  • Alomo Bitters bags medicinal herbal drink award

    The Institute for Government Research Leadership Technology has awarded Alomo Bitters, a flagship brand of Kasapreko Company Nigeria Ltd. the Medicinal Herbal Drink of the year 2014  at its African Product Forum, ‘Abuja’ 2014 with the theme: “Building Brands, Handing Competition”.

    Receiving the award, the company’s Managing Director, Mr. Kojo Nunoo, said his firm is pursuing a vision to build a world-class brand, using authentic traditional herbal blends and world-class technology in an environmentally responsible manner to satisfy customers.

    “It is with great delight and humility that we at Kasapreko Company Nigeria Limited receive this award. Recognitions like this further give a lift to our dreams and encourage us to do more research and ultimately produce innovative products for our consumers’ satisfaction” he said.

    He added: “This award means a lot to us, because Alomo Bitters is the only product in its category that is produced with hundred per cent natural ingredients. We are happy that our effort is been recognised in this regards.”

    According to him, since the introduction of Alomo Bitters into the Nigerian market about four years ago, its growth has been driven largely by consumer demand. ”Nigerians love the drink because it is the only drink in its category that is produced with hundred per cent natural ingredients, which make it good for health. We get testimonies for the medicinal potency of Alomo Bitters from consumers,”he said.

    Also speaking at the award ceremony, the company’s Sales Director,  Mr. Sam Osafo said:  “As a reputable company, we are focused on the quality of our product that is why from the point of extraction to mixing and distilling, careful scientific processes have been put in place to ensure that we maintain the high standard we have been known for.

    “The herbs used by Kasapreko is sourced and treated by the Centre for Scientific Research  into Plant Medicine in Ghana. This relationship has been on for over 20years. Our consumers are rest assured that when they drink Alomo Bitters, they are not only drinking to enjoy, but they are also drinking to stay healthy because of the medicinal qualities of Alomo Bitters.”

    Deputy Chairman, Institute for Government Research Leadership Technology, Prof. John NdanusaAkanya, who spoke at the event, advised award recipients to maintain a high level of standard and quality in their production method because it is the only reason they are getting the recognition.

    “Standard and quality in manufacturing are a journey with no destination. There is no alternative to quality. It is either you produce a quality product or a substandard one. I strongly advise that you put in all your best and produce quality product that can compete favourably in any part of the world. There is no compromise to quality, if a company must stay afloat, such company must strictly adhere to international best practises in production,” he said.

    Delivering a keynote address, Chairman Advisory Board, Institute for Government Research Leadership Technology, Prof. E.J Etuk, highlighted grey areas in business and productions peculiar to countries in Africa that can serve as spring board for international business.

    “African countries have a huge deposit of natural, agricultural and human resources that can be exploited to produce unique African products like African prints, wood carvings and figurines, clay pots, animal skin, African drums (most especially Yoruba talking drums) and other local products, which have a huge market in Europe, America and other parts of the world,” he said.

  • Xmas decorations making waves

    Prices of items for Christmas decoration differ according to their sizes, designs and shapes. Decoration items are available in open markets such as Mushin, Oshodi, Balogun, Iyana-Ipaja, Idumota and other shopping arena within the Lagos metropolis. These items can be placed in the sitting room, on the table or beside the television set or can be hanged on the wall depending on the type.

    A must have Christmas decoration item is the Christmas tree, whose price ranges between N6, 500 and N1200. There are other sizes fitting the strenght of one’s pockets. The prices oscillate around N6, 500, for medium, N4, 500 and the small size N1, 200. There are other very expensive ones meant for the high class. They sell for about N50,000.00 and above.

    The ornaments for decorating the trees are sold separately and are called: ‘Christmas tree decoration balls’. The balls, which come in different colours, cost between N300 for a small pack of six, and N500 for a big pack of 10 and are used to decorate the trees to make them more beautiful. The trees can be used to decorate the house without the balls, but people prefer to buy the balls with the tree because they enhance its beauty.

    Mr. Kingsley Okonkwo, who sells Christmas trees and other decorations at Oshodi market, said anyone buying the tree for the first time and wants to save cost should spread the branches and decorate with Christmas light.’’

    He explained that the essence of the tree is to announce Christmas as the ornaments and the lights are accompanied with melodious songs.

    Other Christmas decoration items include: bells which are placed on the walls in the homes. A pack of this bell costs N1, 800, while the Christmas light costs N400 per pack. There are Christmas frames, which can also be placed on the wall in the living rooms and each costs N500.

  • Gifts that endears

    Christmas is here again. Its a time when family and friends come together to celebrate specially. The celebration is not complete without a lot of food, drinks, sharing of gifts and many more. This is why gifts stores have created varieties of Christmas gifts to suit the shoppers’ pocket. Items that can be presented as gifts  are:  Greeting cards; Santa Claus caps; frames; hats and toys for children among other things.

    Prices of greeting cards for instance, vary according to sizes. A small size card costs N100, while the medium goes for N200. Prices for big sizes range between N500 and N1500, depending on the designs and sizes.

    Christmas frames also come in different designs while some have a space where one can add the picture of the recipient, others are plain frames with inscriptions such as ‘Merry Christmas’ . A small plain frames cost N200, medium N300, other bigger sizes range between N500 and N700. The other design which comes with a space to attach the recipient’s picture is N500 for a small size, N700  for a medium size and N1200 for a big size.

    Santa Claus caps and hats are suitable for children and they often call them ‘father Christmas caps’.  The caps cost N300 and N200 each while the Christmas hats cost N400 and N500 each and are available in different colours and sizes.

    It is a common knowledge that children love toys and as such, some stores have now stocked varieties.

  • Orijin receives royal fathers’ blessings

    Orijin, the iconic drink from the stables of Guinness Nigeria Plc recently got the blessings of royal fathers as the brand was formally presented to traditional rulers across Nigeria, as part of its marketing drive to further promote the drink as that of heritage among Nigerians.

    The brand received the blessings of the royal fathers as it was welcomed with fanfare depicted of the royals. The royal fathers appreciated it as a truly Nigerian drink rooted in African tradition with the flavours of African herbs and fruits.

    At the palace of the Dein of Agbor,  Dr. Benjamin Ikenchukwu, the atmosphere was that of meriment as the Guinness team led by Divisional Sales Manager; Mr. Henry Okpe, presented Orijin to the chiefs.

    While receiving the team, the Iyase of Agbor, Chief A. U. Emenim, expressed delight at Guinness’ thoughtful leadership in manufacturing a product solely made from contents found within Nigeria. “Africa is full of enough fine ingredients to be used in making this type of product. We sincerely appreciate Guinness’ recognition of our monarchs as custodians of these culture and heritage, which Orijin portrays. We bless this drink and pray it continues to satisfy your consumers across Nigeria,” Chief Emenim said.

    At the Amanayabo of Kalabari’s palace in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, while presenting Orijin to the Amayanabo, Guinness’ Divisional Sales Manager, Mr Dennis Ebeye,  further espoused the role of traditional rulers as custodians of our heritage.

    “We have come to present Orijin to our royal fathers, because we understand the importance of staying rooted in our traditions. Orijin is a drink made with the flavor of African herbs and fruits mixed with alcohol to produce a great bitter-sweet that speaks to our African heritage. Guinness Nigeria respects the tradition of the society it operates in and our kings and traditional rulers all over the country have been the custodians of the cultures and heritage of our people for many centuries.

    “Therefore, it is only proper for Guinness Nigeria to pay homage to these esteemed personalities and obtain their blessings for this unique product, which is the fastest selling beverage in the bitters and Ready-to-Drink categories in Nigeria today,” Ebeye said.

    Accepting the drink and offering his blessings, the Amayanabo of Kalabari Kingdom, Prof. T.J.T Princewill, informed the audience that he was  very glad that his kingdom was recognised by Guinness to be officially presented with Orijin.

  • Would you rather shop online for Xmas?

    Would you rather shop online for Xmas?

    As preparations for the Yuletide gather momentum, shoppers have the option of placing orders for choice items online within the comfort of their sitting rooms, reports TONIA ‘DIYAN 

    FOR the upwardly mobile and ever busy executive, who can hardly afford the luxury of the time required to go out on a shopping spree, especially at Christmas, the opportunity through virtual, online shopping cannot be easily ignored considering its enormous benefits.

    A lady, who simply identified herself as  Ewaoluwa,  is a shopping freak,  but detests going to crowded places. She does her shopping online and visiting shopping sites for clothes, shoes, accessories, makeup and other beauty products.

    Justifying her craze for online shopping, she said: “Goods at the market are more expensive when compared to what the online stores offer and their prices usually don’t correspond with their quality.”

    The 24-year-old became a fan of online shopping, giving reference to fashion brand, two years ago when the trend was newly introduced into the country.

    She now makes her purchases on her laptop every month while waiting for retailers’ holiday’s offers and Christmas discount offers, which are ongoing in all shopping places.

    Since product returns are free and easy, Ewaoluwa said she doesn’t mind paying the delivery charges required when online stores desptach riders deliver her items to her door step.

    Like Ewaoluwa, Amara, another fashionista,  has decided to stay away from markets and other crowded shopping places, arguing that visiting such places for Christmas shopping is a clear “waste of time.” This simply, according to her,  often involve overeager salespersons, who may not help her find the right items she needs.

    “I am the type of shopper who knows exactly what I want,” the 39-year-old said, adding: “I have never liked salespeople following me around. I don’t appreciate that kind of service. And to make matters worse, I might not get exactly what I want to buy. ”

    An online store, which she discovered through a magazine two years ago, turned out to offer her kind of service. With just a press on the button of her mobile device in the comfort of her apartment, Amara has found brands of accessories that aren’t sold in some stores. There are several thousands of people who would rather do their shopping in their living rooms just like Ewaoluwa and Amara.

    The Nation’s investigations haveshown that there are people who do not know the basic steps to take in buying an item online. Some would rather call the customer care line to place orders, while others would beg that orders be placed on their behalf. But it is better to take charge whenever one visits an online store.

    Just like someone would behave when he/she gets to the popular Balogun market on Lagos Island, see what catches his or her fancy and simply ask for it following simple steps. It is true that before online shopping made began in the country, the main reason people browse the internet was to search for information, send emails and do their official work.

    The process of placing orders online for goods is very simple and straight forward. Attempting a comparative analysis of conventional and online shopping, Mr. Ignatius Owen said: “Online shopping doesn’t come with any stress as you can do it anytime, anywhere  and at your own convenience. Still, you get value for money.”

     

    ABC of buying online

     

    Offline Manager at Jumia.com.ng, Afam Anyika, said there are simple procedures required to shop online. These include logging on to any online website by typing the store’s name and follow other commands as may be required on the browser

    “Simply log on to any online shopping website by typing the store website on the browser, that is, the store name.com.ng. In some cases, choosing Nigeria on the ‘choose a country” section might be needed and if one is a new customer, he or she would be required to type in an email address and click on ‘Sign Up Now’,” hesaid.

    The next step, according to him, “is to click on the category name on the left hand side of the homepage to view the products within categories or use the search bar located at the top of the homepage to find preferred products. “Select a preferred colour/size and then click on ‘buy now, to add choice product into cart. Note that it is important to click on preferred payment option before clicking the ‘Place order’ button.

    “It is time to fill in contact and delivery details, then click ‘Save And Continue’. Choose a preferred payment method after the buyer must have chosen goods.  It could be delivered anywhere, using different methods. Cash on delivery or the free returns & exchange methods. At this stage, the order is complete; an order number will then be generated for the customer with which he or she can use to track the order,” he explained.

    He continued: “It is important to click on ‘Proceed To Checkout’, tab to complete the buying process. At checkout, the buyer will need to fill in personal details and shipping address if he or she is a new customer.

    “However, it is important not to hesitate to contact customer care via email, Facebook, Twitter or Google+ in case a buyer encounters any problem while placing order.”

    Corroborating Anyinka, an online store worker, Tomiwa Oladele, noted that all a prospective seller or buyer is required to do  are simple basic steps. Tomiwa works at Kaymu.com.ng, an online shopping portal,

    “It is easy to find the product one wants by using the search box at the top of the homepage or the category tree on the left. Then use the filters on the left to choose preferred brand, colours and price.

    “The next step is to select payment and shipping method and click on the ‘confirm’ button to confirm purchase. A buyer can either choose cash on delivery or any of the other payment options after which, a confirmation email will be sent to buyer to validate his or her order as well as the seller details.”Oladele said.

    A customer support worker at dealdey.com, Toyin Adeyeni, told The Nation Shopping that what to do when trying to buy goods online is to understand the basic rudiments.

    “All it requires is to type the store name on the browser click sign up, fill the form and register, after which the buyer signs in with details (username and password). It is time to click on preferred deal and buy, redirecting the buyer to his or her cart. If the buyer wants to continue shopping, he/she should click on the continue shopping button, if not, he can proceed to payment.

    “It is important to know that proceeding to ‘payments’ takes buyer to the different payment options available where he or she is asked to select preferred payment option (if money is in wallet, a buyer is expected to select wallet) and follow the instructions to complete order or such persons can make on-line payment from bank accounts using ATM cards such as Verve, Master-card or Visa card. Buyers can also pay directly into the company’s accounts.

    “Once confirmation of payment is received, the buyer’s wallet will be credited and he/she will be notified of credit after which buyer can sign into Dealdey account and click on ‘buy’ on desired deal to make a purchase and complete order,”she said.

    However, buyers such as Ewaoluwa and Amara are among those sustaining online retailers in this part of the world since it started about  two years ago.

     

    Bridging the digital divide

     

    With a population of 170 million, 130 million active lines, 66 million of which are used to access the internet, Nigeria is the biggest internet market in Africa. Between 2000 and 2013, internet penetration grew from a paltry 0.06 per cent to 38 per cent. Teledensity is now 93 per cent and there are indications that the trend will continue well into 2020.

    The country will remain the largest internet market on the continent in the near future because it has a large youth population (one-third of the population is between the 10-24 years age bracket) and a growing middle class (estimated at 23 per cent, approximately 39 million-of the population according to Renaissance Capital in 2011). Nigeria has a large number of the two classes of individuals, which traditionally drive internet usage. They are  the middle class and the young people.

    The size of this market makes it a fertile ground for online business, internet advertising, software sales and Internet service providers.

     

    Benefits of  online shopping

     

    Shedding more light on customers’ patronage of online platforms, the Managing Director of  Kaymu.com.ng, in Nigeria, Evangeline Wiles, said the enormous growth rate being recorded on the e-commerce sector, about N1.3 billion per month, is driven by the middle class.

    Wiles said the growth of online based transactions in Nigeria records over $2million, about N320 million  per week and about N1.3 billion a month from the 38 per cent of Nigerians, who prefer to buy products through the internet.

    He noted that as Nigeria continues its movement towards a digital economy, online transactions are expected to reach N1 trillion, boosting the cashless policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), aimed at reducing cash-based transactions.

    He said: “Online marketing offers a level playing ground for large businesses as well as small and medium scale businesses to operate in the global market place and for regional businesses and communities to participate in social economic and cultural networks across the globe. With the growing successes recorded in the country’s e-commerce space contributed largely to the middle class of the economy, the low income group is also a potential target for business investors and mass products.”

    The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) also report that almost 40 per cent of all internet traffic from Africa comes from Nigeria, thus, rating the country as Africa’s largest mobile and internet market.

    Nigeria takes over from Egypt and Morocco, which have been among the highest internet user rates in the region, with Egypt having about 12.6 million people with access to the internet while Morocco has 10.3 million.

    Considering the immense economic potential Nigeria has in terms of sheer market size, it is the contention of analysts that the online shopping platforms would continue to grow in leaps and bounds as long as the adoption of social media as a viable market platform.

     

     

  • Low sale of Xmas hampers

    The last quarter of the year usually attracts boost in the sale of Hampers, which individuals and cooperate bodies give out to clients, colleagues and friends, to show gratitude for a cordial business relationship and friendshp.

    However, the case is different this year as sales of these items have dropped in various markets and stores where they are displayed. At the popular Balogun Market on Lagos Island, retailers  attributed the drop in sales to increase in the prices of goods packaged in the hampers.

    A trader Balogun, Mrs. Jumoke Adeniyi, said: “As we all know, hamper is a seasonal item, but this year’s sale is very discouraging. If I knew I wouldn’t have ventured into this trade this year. I paid two times, the actual price of items a hamper should contain, with the hope that I would make huge sales to make up for the extra money spent on purchasing them. But to my surprise, nobody  patronised me. I was lucky to have  sold two small sizes last week,’’ she said.

    She added: “I don’t know where people are getting hampers from, but I was told that many have devised means of securing hampers. They would buy empty baskets and fill them with choice items to reduce cost. So, we that are selling are left with nothing to go home with.”

    The essence of hampers, she said, is to show care to the receiver.  ‘’ Hampers like every other gifts, show to the receiver that the giver cares about him or her,’’ she said.

    Another trader, Mrs. Chioma Syvalnus, said hampers are more presentable as gifts because of the way they are packaged and the items they contain.

    They  come in different prices according to the sizes of the basket which is used in packaging the items, she said; while a small basket cost N3000, medium basket cost N5000 and a big one N7000 containing different items.

    Some of the common items contained in a Christmas hamper include: vegetable oil, semolina, wheat, fruit juice, cornflakes, milk, body spray, perfumes, body lotions, Biscuits e.t.c. The quantity of items found on each hamper depends on the size and price of that hamper.

    A shopper, Mrs. Nike Adelusi said the prices of hampers have truly gone up compared to last year. ‘’Truly, the prices have gone up but that will not stop me from buying because every year I buy for my pastors, in-laws and my boss’’.

  • GSK unveils nutrition website

    TO encourage nutrition in families, Horlicks,  produced by GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Nigeria Plc (GSK) in collaboration with the Federation of Africa Nutrition Societies (FANUS) has launched a new website designed to provide  information to Nigerians and Africans.

    The website, www.africanfamilynutrition.com   was designed with information on nutrition and it is user friendly.

    GSK’s Global Expert Nutrition Manager, Mrs Jaya Mathai, said the  website is a nutritional guide for  families.

    “This new website provides comprehensive articles on various aspects of family’s lifestyle including nutrition, health and physical fitness amongst others. We understand the importance of proper nutrition and the challenges involved in getting authoritative information on subjects related to nutrition, hence the need for a website to cater to this need. The website provides all Africans with detailed information on nutrition alongside other issues of family life. The new site is simply designed as an African mother’s first stop for information on nutrition,” Mathai said.

    An additional feature on the website is the utility calculator which provides an insight on an individual’s state of health.

    Senior Brand Manager, Horlicks,  Mrs. Bimpe Osanyintuyi, said the project is in line with the attributes of Horlicks.

    “Horlicks is a health food drink that contains 23 vital nutrients which helps to give strong bones, sharp mind and healthy body and provides nourishing well-being for the whole family. GSK Consumer’s mission is to improve the quality of human lives by helping people to do more, feel better and live longer- all of which this new nutritional website depicts. The website therefore contains comprehensive articles on nutritional health issues which we believe will improve the lives and health of our consumers,” Osanyintuyi said.

  • Britons spend more this Xmas

    Britons are the most generous Christmas shoppers among the world’s major economies, spending nearly £700 each on festive goods, according to new research from PwC. Christmas spending in the UK totalled £43bn in 2013, with consumers spending £680 on goods in the last two months of the year – a third more than the United States and beaten only by Ireland. Of the world’s richest economies, American consumers rank second in the list of the world’s festive shoppers, spending £495 per person, while France are Europe’s second most generous nation after the UK, shelling out £366, according to the Big Four accountancy firm’s latest Global Economy Watch report.

    But it is Ireland that emerges as top of the Christmas spending tree, with average per person spending topping £750 over the course of November and December last year.

    The findings are further evidence that consumer spending has been powering the British recovery.

     

  • Householdmax.com makes debut

    A new online shopping portal has made debut on the internet-based shopping scene.

    Known as Householdmax.com, the portal is an online store that provides the convenience needed for working and busy families to manage their home and office affairs without interrupting their business and other commitments.

    The company has also rolled out a special reward programme for all shoppers who will visit the website this season. The Special Reward Scheme will see one lucky buyer treated to a family dining experience. Also, all shoppers who make orders over N20, 000 between now and 20th of this month, will automatically qualify to win a wonderful Family Dinner at a Fine Restaurant in Victoria Island. In addition, the first 20 shoppers to sign up on householdmax.com will receive a special Discount Voucher to use at checkout.

    According to the company, the firm has a range of products that cover household essentials and consumables with an option for customers to choose from.

    A Director of the company, Mrs. Aisha Tinubu, said the portal was set up to ease the plight of most Nigerians, especially busy work executives and parents who are too busy to spend time scouting different shops for their family essential needs due to other important commitments.

    “We came up with the idea following research, which shows that an increasing number of Nigerians, especially our women and mothers, hardly find the time out of their busy schedules to go shopping in various outlets for household essentials that are very important to their respective families,” she said. She added that people sometimes want specialty products such as anti-allergy and hypoallergenic products for children, which are just not available in most stores.

    To ensure efficiency and a fluid delivery process, she further disclosed that the company has recruited a procurement team with over 20 years retail experience in global products sourcing with a focus on quality and functionality. She pointed out that Household Max is one of the few online stores in Nigeria that own a large selection of its products, thereby guaranteeing product availability and prompt delivery on many product lines.

    Her words: “Orders can be made and processed within 24hrs while delivery will be done on the same day for some special zones free of charge and for shoppers who prefer higher end luxury goods, Householdmax.com also has an exclusive range of luxury items perfect for the home or as gifts.”

  • Yuletide shopping gathers steam

    Yuletide shopping gathers steam

    Few weeks to Christmas, the frenzy of spending is already building up as shopping arcades across the federation are becoming beehives of activities. TONIA ‘DIYAN reports

    IT’S the Yuletide season. It is that period of the year most people shop as a matter of necessity. Yes, shopping is part of the fun, glamour and glitz that go with December sales and Christmas in particular.

    Investigation by The Nation Shopping shows that these last weeks have seen shoppers in the Lagos metropolis take advantage of the Christmas celebration to partake in the ongoing yearly ‘yearend smart deals’ taking place at shopping malls and major open markets.

    Interestingly, not only are the malls’ popularity soaring, but their centre managers note that sale of Christmas items is beginning to climb strongly as the festive season approaches.

    From students awaiting holiday, upcountry traders, loving parents with shoe-string budgets, visitors living in the city who will return to their different home towns for December holidays, everyone is looking to buy something.

    When The Nation Shopping visited some markets and malls across the metropolis, one of the pictures which kept resonating is that people are in the mood for Christmas, with the rush to get good bargains ahead of the yuletide celebration proper.

    Indeed, across the metropolis, the usual upsurge in human traffic in major markets and shopping places can hardly go unnoticed. Such increased tempo of activities resurfaces to prepare people for Christmas celebration, which comes up in two weeks. Major markets are becoming busier and traders at these markets say patronage are increasing by the day. The Nation Shopping also observed that sales are picking up with more crowds and more items on display.

    “Buy! Na small money,” (take your pick at N500 each) screamed a dealer in children’s wears at the popular Balogun market in Lagos.

    “Pay N1, 000 for Wrangler or Levis jeans,” shouted another lady at a Mandilas store representative’s shop in a nearby street on the island.

    “Gbanjo, gbanjo na N200 for one” (ladies tops for N200 each) chorused another.

    At Idumota market, men are looking for just the right clothes for their women, while the women are shopping for their men too. And mothers are busy digging into their wallets to shop for their children, not forgetting gifts for extended family and friends.

    Fashionistas are storming pricey shops on Awolowo Way and under the bridge in Ikeja to pick items by popular designers. Price tags for such designer wares such as a pair of shoes ranged from N2, 500 to N6, 500 to N8, 000.

    A leather shoe in such high-end shops could be between N30, 000 and N55, 000 and those who know the worth of the designer goods are comfortable paying. They waste no time, no haggling.

    Also, people who have less disposable cash choose to storm fairly used stalls, otherwise known as Akube markets to take their pick of hand-me-down especially second-hand clothes, shoes, ladies hand bags and necessary accessories for the Christmas celebration.

    For sellers, it is that time of the year when they make brisk business.

    A cross-section of retailers at Balogun market said sales of Christmas decorations, clothing, jewellery and household items in the last two weeks have increased tremendously, following the offers which have been ongoing for some time.

    According to them, this year is witnessing the strongest sales not only of clothes and Christmas decorations, but also food, gift items and children wares.

    Describing the rush at this time of the year when Christmas is two weeks away, Ayoade Arogundade, a shopper, said shopping places particularly in the open markets are indeed very chaotic.

    For the malls, she said the long queue at the point of making payments through Point of Sales (PoS) terminals is frustrating.

    “At this time of the year, it is one thing to buy items from a store, and another thing to make payment. But i am compensated with the price slash available everywhere to help people shop for Christmas.”

    At the new Apapa mall along Park- Lane in Lagos, a shopper, Serah Akumah said she avoided the crowd at other shopping malls, especially at the open market.

    “I decided to visit the mall having presumed that there will be fewer people and less rush here. But I was wrong, you know! I could hardly find a parking space,” she said.

    At the Adeniran Ogunsanya mall, a shopper, Kikelomo Adeyeye, was among those who took advantage of the discounts available on items bought.

    She went home with a 20-piece glassware set sold for N25, 000 instead of its original price of N35, 000 and a foot-long Santa Claus ornament she bought for her son at 15 per cent discount.

    “Some of these items, such as the ornaments, are not cheap, when it is not Christmas period,” she said.

    Just like Kikelomo, her sibling, Funmilola, also took advantage of the good bargain.

    “I’ve been able to save about N45, 500 after my shopping, it is definitely worth being here at this time,” she said.

    However, some mall managers told The Nation Shopping that the quantum of sales normally increases two months to the festive month and that customers are definitely getting their best bargains.

    “We have experienced very massive sales in our parking section as well as in other sections where we realise revenue because of the number of people who visit the mall daily. We meet very understanding customers who agree to work with the space we have at this very busy period,” said Eniola Ositelu, Marketing Manager Ikeja City Mall.

    Echoing similar sentiment, Modupe Shopeju, who runs Delightsome Gifts Concepts, a gift store situated in Lagos Island, said: “Over the past weeks, I have noticed that stores are stocking more items that were flying off the shelves quickly.” She added that these stores, including hers encourage shoppers to take advantage of the ‘year ending deals’ to meet their immediate needs.

    “People are simply making use of the opportunity available to them this season. However, the sales will continue till January next year,” she said.

    A sales person at Leisure Mall explained that  the number of orders in his store began to rise a month ago invarious ways via the telephone and internet, because of the offers available for Christmas.

    “Our mouth watering offers have been on since last month and will extend till after Christmas and New Year. This is to help our customers acquire their desired items at affordable prices and help us empty our stores to restock for the New Year. Most of us do not want to carry over our old stock into the New Year. All we want is New Year …. new things,” he said.