Oh wow! Last Christmas was better than this one
‘Last year’s Christmas was better than this one’ is a common refrain you hear from traders each year when media houses carry out ‘vox populi’ during the Christmas season. But could these traders be telling us the hard fact that business is getting less exciting for them in the market?
Advertisement
I vividly remember how traders complained that sales were very low during the previous Christmas holidays (December 2013) and to hear that the just passed season was worse than that of the previous year will probably mean no sales at all were made. But that is when I think it is a refrain and I can bet my last pesewa that come next December, we would hear that business was better in 2014.
At this rate of “last year was better than this year”, there will be no business at all in another five years.
But while we may be tempted to dismiss these comments from traders as mere refrains, may be….and just may be, there might be some justification for their claim.
It is sad that while in other economies, they have all kinds of indices to measure various economic activities and could fairly estimate whether business was better in a previous year, we do not, apart from the macroeconomic indices such as the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Even a lot of traders cannot say precisely what their annual sales were. But setting that aside, could it really be the case that business, on the average, is getting less exciting for the average trader in our traditional markets?
There is no doubt that life style has changed in the capital and several other towns and cities over the years. Our eating pattern has changed; rice has long become a staple and the chicken with carbonated drinks (soft drinks; nonalcoholic drinks), as well as the alcoholic drinks that we had only on festive occasions are drunk regularly. Even in the typical villages, they no longer wait for Christmas. In a worst case scenario in such rural communities, funerals will provide them enough of such drinks before the yuletide, except in the extreme poor communities. So it does make sense that in the past, when such items were reserved for festive occasions, traders experienced a huge surge in demand but in these times when they are consumed almost always, traders will see only a minor surge, if any at all.
Additionally, with the expansion of towns and cities, a lot of satellite markets have sprung up and with the scary traffic, a lot more people hardily visit the traditional markets but rather settle for these satellite markets. Another development is the table top or stores that sell everything grocery that have become convenient shopping outlets for many people, particularly the working class. They sell just everything you can think of and they sell right into the night. Our communities also have many mini marts and supermarkets of different sizes. All of these outlets, I suppose, take some business away from the traditional markets.
There is also the exciting mall phenomenon which serve multipurpose. They are meeting places for friends, suitors and even meeting places for young entrepreneurs who may not have offices of their own. They are a major entertainment and eating points, besides shopping, and the patronage is impressive. For the busy parent, the mall helps them to kill several birds with just a stone; shopping, going out with the family, banking, etc.
Of course, I know the population of the country is not static but one cannot say that the presence of these community wayside table top/store groceries, mini and supermarkets, satellite markets and the malls are not taking business away from the traditional markets. Neither can we discount the impact of the changing life style and eating pattern on sales in the traditional markets throughout the year and during the yuletide. So while it sounds like a refrain when these traders complain that business is less exciting, it may just be factual.
It might not be a bad idea to, as scientifically as possible, verify the traders’ claim because if they are factual, then it will call for policy intervention as there could be dire consequences in another decade if the traditional markets become shadows of their pasts, with adverse impact on livelihoods.
From the news and as expected of a growing economy, more malls and community shopping outlets will spring up and more and more people will stay away from the traditional markets, particularly in the cities and regional capitals.
I do not see anything wrong with the malls and in fact I am all for the malls and hope to see them all over the country. In deed, it could be how our huge informal sector will become transmogrified into formalised sectors over time and I am all for it, but if it is not planned, it could hurt so many people whose livelihood depends on these traditional markets. Remember, the traditional market is a whole industry!
It, therefore appears, that much as it sounds like a refrain, it is possible that our traditional markets are not experiencing growth because the malls, community shops and groceries are taking business away from them and our life style and eating habits could also be impacting on the pattern of consumption during the yuletide and that may be why “Christmas will always be better last year than this year” for the traders in the traditional markets.
