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No excitement over Valentine this year

With a day to this year’s Valentine‘s Day celebration, the usual euphoria and sales associated with the occasion in Accra are absent.

During a visit to commercial centres such as the Osu Oxford Street, the usual display of red-dominated gift items was virtually absent. A few red-coloured items, though, were spotted on display for sale in the Central Business District.

Some traders and gift shop operators the Daily Graphic spoke to, complained that patronage of gifts and souvenirs ahead of Valentine’s Day celebration on February 14 was very low.

Low Pre-Valentine Sales

The owner of Uziel Gift Shop on the Osu Oxford Street, Mrs Patience Dzibodi, said customers were not buying Valentine gifts as compared with last year.

“Even though last year sales were not all that good, two days to Valentine, we had sold quite a number of gifts and chocolate, but this year, up till now, I have not sold even one chocolate gift box much more a Valentine gift hamper,” she added.

Chocolate Day

She said since Valentine’s Day was officially made Chocolate Day in the country, most people had shifted their attention to the purchase of chocolate instead of teddy bears, wine, jewellery and cards.

She said the cost of local chocolate made the situation even worse contending that even though it was called Chocolate Day, the ordinary Ghanaian could not afford to spend so much on chocolate.

The wholesale price of the assorted chocolate gift box is GH¢10 and retailed for GH¢15. “This price is too expensive for the local chocolate,” she added.

Owners of other gift shops shared similar concerns and said they were hoping sales would improve today and on the D-day.

Central Business District 

Some traders in the Central Business District also complained of the low patronage of gifts and souvenirs ahead of Valentine’s Day celebration tomorrow.

Ms Mercy Adu said she had not sold any of her Valentine items since she opened her shop in the morning, adding that customers only asked of prices of items but did not buy.

Mrs Emmanuelle Koranteng, a shop attendant, noted that while it was assumed that chocolate would have been a preferred Valentine’s Day gift in Ghana, its patronage had not been encouraging.

She said most people only asked of the prices and left without buying, saying they were too expensive.

Pharmaceutical Dealers

Some pharmaceutical dealers who spoke  to the Daily Graphic on condition of anonymity said there had not been any rise in the purchase of condom.

One of them expressed the belief that the awareness created on the need for people to lead decent lives, particularly on festive occasions, was yielding positive results.

“Valentine and other such events do not really mean so much to many people these days. People are rather concerned about doing more profitable things,” he added

He indicated that the economic situation did not permit one to spend so much on events such as Valentine any more. 

Students’ Perspective

Ms Mavis Addo, a student, said she did not see anything unique about Valentine’s Day because she was more concerned about her studies.

She said she heard most of her mates talking about it but had given very little attention to it and would not mind if she did not receive any gift from anyone.

Writers e-mail [email protected]

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