Ogun traders blame rising cost of goods for low patronage

Some traders in the Mowe and Ibafo areas of Ogun State have expressed sadness over the decline in patronage by customers, which they claimed was occasioned by the high cost of goods and commodities.

They stressed that the situation had also brought losses to their business.

The traders who spoke with PUNCH Metro in separate interviews on Sunday lamented that the hardship in the country, occasioned by the high inflation, had taken a toll on their business.

A trader who identified herself simply as Ruth noted that the recurring changes in the prices of commodities had led to a decline in the purchasing power of consumers.

She added that the decline in the purchase of goods had led to a reduction in sales and adversely affected her business.

“Before the fuel price hike, we sold spaghetti for N900, but now, it is between N1,000 and N1,050. Products like Milo, which a roll cost N1,500, now sells for N1,700. The price changes come directly from the suppliers, and it has affected sales.

“People were buying more before the prices went up, but now sales have slowed down, and the turnover of customers is low,” Ruth said.

A fish seller, Mrs Azeezat Aminu, corroborated the claims that the high prices of commodities had led to a decline in sales because consumers could no longer afford lavish buying.

“Before everything became expensive and Asiwaju Bola Tinubu became the President, I used to buy a carton of fish for N6,800. Now, it costs N43,800.

“The expenses are too much, and things are much more expensive. My customers used to buy from me often, but now it’s different. I used to roast eight to 10 cartons of fish, but now, I only do one or two cartons.”

Stressing the impact of the decline in sales, a grocery trader, Mrs Sola Akinwunmi, said the decline led to some of her goods becoming expired, resulting in huge losses.

She said it was the intervention of the product manufacturer that saved her from the huge loss she incurred.

In her words, “I once had a product that expired, but I called the distributor, and they came to exchange it for a new one.”

When contacted for a reaction, the Chief Press Secretary to the Ogun Governor, Lekan Adeniran, promised to get back to our correspondent but was yet to do so as of the time of filing this report.