Accra Mall Shop Owners Go Mad

ACCRA, Jan.21 (Economy Tribune)--Majority of shop owners at the Accra Shopping Mall have complained bitterly about low patronage of their products, despite the heavy flow of human traffic in the area.

A cursory survey by Economic Tribune revealed that about 30 percent of the shop owners enjoyed healthy sales over the past two years while the remaining seventy percent struggle to meet their target.

Security personnel at the mall say owners of most of the cars parked at the parking lot do not even enter the facility.

“Because there are no car parks, leave their car there and continue their journey. It will therefore be unfair to think every shop owner make a lot of money judging by the human traffic,” John Sango, one of the security personnel at the mall has stated.

Ms. Mildred Akyaa, owner of Whiteleys, a beads and accessories shop, disclosed that she was able to meet her sales target only in a couple of months in the whole year; usually in the early months, when tourists to the country are returning after the Christmas holidays.

“It is often the case that locals with spending power do not usually frequent the mall, but rather window shoppers and children,” she said. Similar challenges were reported by owners of shops that dealt in a few specialized items such as electronic products or clothing.

“Judging by the numbers that visit, we could be making a windfall if that translates into sales, however, it is not all gloomy,” Joe Asare of the Panasonic Shop has stated.

The case is somewhat different for the bigger shops like The Game and ShopRite as they recorded significant sales. A sales attendant at Shop Rite, who pleaded anonymity said: “businesses have been good throughout the year.”

Meanwhile, checks by this paper revealed that the managers of the Mall, Broll Ghana, had received 250 applications from business owners, who are desperate of getting shops at the mall. A retail space of one square metre at the mall goes for $50.