For shoppers, retail and online stores, including the shopping malls, August signifies various things. While it is usually a good time for good bargains – thanks to seasonal price slashes it is also a time for trading outlets to offload their old stock and re stock for the last quarter of the year, ahead of the Yelutide, when sales boom. This period is known as the ‘August Rush offer’. TONIA ‘DIYAN reports.
August is the eighth month of the year when sales offers are rounded off to herald the beginning of another quarter by September, the last quarter of the year. This period is reffered to as ‘August Rush Offer.’
At times like this, retail outlets, online stores, and shopping malls are seen offering higher discounts on their wares to drive sales. This, more often than not, is to help create more storage space in their stores, as they all seek to restock for the last quarter, and preparatory to stocking for the yelutide season of Christmas and New Year celebrations. August, in the country’s shopping landscape, is a period of bumper sales and majority of sales outlets across the city are giving all forms of bonanzas and freebies to woo prospective buyers.
For several years now, this tradition has come to be an important feature in shoppers’ calendar, as they look forward to getting good bargain on commodities. This year is no exception as shoppers in Lagos have started taking advantage of the ‘August Rush offer’ at malls, supermarkets, retail and even online stores. They are seen more in these places at weekends and after working hours during week days.
For instance, at a houseware store, Mrs Romoke Adebayo, a marriage counsellor, told The Nation Shopping that she bought a 12-piece Martha Stewart silver cooking set at 20 per cent less the original selling price. “I’ve been planning to get something like this for a long time. But I just couldn’t afford it because, it was very expensive. But with the ongoing offer, I finally have it! Coming here early was definitely worth it; someone else would have picked it before my arrival. The sales person said it is the only one left,” she explained.
A visit to a cross-section of malls and sales outlets within Lagos shows that very many of them are making brisk sales. Last Saturday, while stores were yet to open by 8.45am, shoppers in large numbers were already hanging around shopping malls.
While sales appeared brisk in shopping malls, retail stores, supermarkets and online stores, household and electronics outlets which are either stand-alone stores or tenants in complexes and plazas are not left out. They all have something to give away.
However, it’s been observed that there are more sales this year since the advent of shopping malls in the country 10 years ago, when The Palms, in Lekki-Lagos opened shop. Same with online stores, which have been thriving for three years.
Some retailers told The Nation Shopping that sales of Electronics, Clothing, Mobile phones, Jewellery and House hold items in the last two months, have increased following the offers which have been on since May to herald the second quarter.
According to them, this year is witnessing the strongest sales not only in Clothes, Mobile phones and Electronics, but also food and general grocery supplies.
The crowd at the Apapa Mall in Lagos was a testimony when The Nation Shopping visited the place.
“It was, indeed, really crowded; the queue was discouraging and making payment after shopping was hell. People are already shopping for Back -To – School, to prepare school pupils and students for a new school session and prices have been slashed everywhere,’’ a teacher, Mr Folorunsho Bashorun, said.
Mrs Cordelia and her husband, Mr Caleb Otoide, both Military Personnel, took their daughters for shopping at Adeniran Ogunsanya Mall in Surulere last weekend. “There are some combat/military-style boots that I’ve been wanting to buy,”Mrs Cordelia said.”
We knew the crowd would be more for the ‘August Rush Offer’ that has been earlier announced by some stores in their fliers, posters and in front of their shops, thus we decided to visit the mall this early when there would be fewer people. But we were wrong, you know! We could hardly find a parking space,” she added.
Ms Helen Thompson, a South African-trained nurse, was among the early shoppers at Ikeja City Mall last Saturday; she took advantage of the discounts attached to items at the mall. She went home with a 20-piece glassware set for N25, 000 and a Spiderman Back Pack she bought for her son at 70 percent discount.
“Some of these items, such as the ones I bought, are not cheap, when it is not sales period like this,” she said.
Her sister, Ms Natasha, bought two large bags of goodies from Shoprite, Staplers; a few children’s bake sets and other house wares. “I’ve been able to save about N15, 200 after my shopping, it is definitely worth being here at this time,” she said.
Also, last Saturday, vehicular and pedestrian traffic at Ipori Market, and other high street stores on Bode Thomas, in Surulere, Lagos, were high by mid-day.
The market is the second destination for one of its residents, Mr Wale Bankole, who had stopped by Leisure Mall to buy a Swatch wrist watch, a Daniel Ray handbag and a Nine West pair of shoes for his wife, Mrs Gloria Bankole. He testified of how he was able to save some money. “It seems to be a general offer. I have saved N38, 000 altogether; ordinarily, I would have spent N38, 000 more buying these many items from different places, “he said.
For Top Services Limited, the Management of Apapa Mall in Lagos, Mr Celestine Jeremiah said sales have increased and customers have been very patient getting their vehicles into the mall. “We have experienced very massive sales 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.
“Over the past week, stores have stocked more styles that are flying off the shelves quickly,” said Mrs Modupe Shopeju of Delightsome Gifts Concepts. Alhaja Ganiyat Rilwan, who was shoe shopping at the store with her six-year-old daughter, Mila, said she decided to take advantage of the ‘August Rush offer’ to meet her immediate needs.
While Mila got the blue sneakers and a wedge sandal she wanted, her mother bought a pair of sandals and a black office shoe for herself. The offer will continue till the end of August.
Echoing similar sentiments as Shopeju, a sales person at the Daviva store, an upscale clothing store, who asked not to be named, told The Nation Shopping that most retailers have come up with one sales strategy or the other to help make huge sales.
“Our promotional offers are ongoing. We do this yearly so that we can have bountiful sales; we push out as many items as possible by slashing their prices into three, sometimes four just to lure customers.”
Pressed further, the source said, “With this, we are able to do away with out old stock, old designs and then bring in new ones for the next quarter.”
“Apart from the huge sales recorded by some businesses, gift-giving and fun treat, mainly centre on children, is an important part of the offer particularly at shopping malls and online.
