Christmas shoppers in Accra city choked

Christmas shoppers from across the country have descended heavily on Accra especially the Central Business District creating heavy vehicular and pedestrian traffic, whiles most shops are also loaded with Xmas goodies.

The pedestrian pavements in the Central Business District are clogged by traders, shoppers, workers, and pedestrians. Hawkers have also shifted their trading items to focus mainly on Xmas goods and taking advantage of the heavy vehicular traffic to do brisk business.

A tour of some of the principal streets and the Central Business District on Wednesday by the Ghana News Agency team unveiled, the tradition of Xmas, some of the traders and shop owners have mounted loudspeakers in front of their shops bursting songs to attract the shoppers.

Noise levels have also risen many times above the accepted volumes, not only from the music of all sorts that filled the air but also from vendors who shout, ring bells and make all kind of noise to attract shoppers.

On sale are every item that one can imagine, children clothing, Xmas biscuit, drinks, from toothpick through foodstuffs, cell phones, dresses, fabrics, shoes to electronics and household items.

Scores of traders warned the shoppers to be careful as pickpockets have been cashing in on the heavy human traffic; the traders said they have adopted shouting out warning messages to shoppers to guard their pockets and bags jealously.

“Beggars are making sure they are not left out of the Christmas bonanza. They have positioned themselves at vantage points hoping shoppers will drop their ‘change’ in their bowls. There is brisk business although some vendors complain of low sales, saying people only come to “window shop” and not actually to buy.

“The Christmas season meant new clothes, especially for children. However, some stores that sell children’s clothes are complaining of slow business although it is “a little better than last year,” Mr Kwadwo Mensah a trader from Kumasi told the GNA at Makola Market where he has come with others to buy this for their shops in Kumasi.

Maame Korkor Ayorkor, a trader at Makola Market, told the GNA that the prices of the clothing were the same as prior to Christmas. The prices of wax print have not increased.

The GNA observed that sellers of rice, oil, drinks, biscuits and other consumables are making more sales than their counterparts selling other wares which are not edible. Most people, it seems, are more interested in buying food items than clothes or other wares.

The GNA team observed that the Madina market has lit up with a change of items and paraphernalia as Christmas festive approaches after the General Elections.

As the colour red, yellow, green and gold marked for the season, some traders have exhibited the paraphernalia, biscuits and drinks including hampers in shops.

Some of the paraphernalia are Christmas hats, lightening headbands, Christmas trees for decorations, spectacles and the shoot flaming balls among others.