Reopening of schools: Booksellers bemoan low patronage of products

Some booksellers have lamented on the low patronage of their products after the government’s decision to reopen public and private schools.

A visit by the Ghana News Agency (GNA) to some bookshops at the Central Business District in Accra revealed that despite the expectation of high sales by booksellers as schools were reopening, the situation was otherwise.

Madam Abena Frimpong, a salesperson at Makola market told the GNA that although business was expected to be booming within this period, it was slow.

She said, usually, at the beginning of every term, lots of people come around to buy books, but the case was different this academic year.

“Perhaps people are waiting for schools to actually resume next week before they come around to patronize our stationery”, she stated.

She added that since it was a new academic year, most students would like to report to school in order to know the required textbooks before purchasing.

Madam Victoria Aidoo, another bookseller said that in previous years, markets became extremely busy upon the reopening of schools, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the change in school’s curriculum, sales had been negatively affected.

“We don’t get access to the specific textbooks that the students need”, she lamented.

She added that most students were uncertain as to the specific kind of books that they were expected to buy for the academic year, hence only exercise books, pens and pencils were being purchased.

“I’m hoping that the students would be given a list of textbooks so that they can come around and buy them”, she said.

Mr Eric Galley, a shop attendant at Excellence Bookshop said that prices of books and other stationery had increased due to shortage in production and demand was high, but the problem was their inability to meet the needs of most customers.