SMEs And Yuletide Seasons

Christmas period is fast approaching. In the next few days, the entire country will be in a festive mood with the citizenry engaging in buying and selling for the yuletide.
Many operators of the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in the country have started stocking their shops with goods, mostly food items and Christmas gifts, in anticipation for yuletide patronage.
In this week’s edition of My Business, The Tide looks at the viability of SMEs during this year’s Christmas period, especially in the face of the recent lockdown occasioned by Coronavirus pandemic, the EndSARS protests and the new economic recession in the country. How have SME operators managed to stock their shops in preparation for the Christmas period and what are the chances of getting good patronage?
Our senior correspondent, Lilian Peters’ chats with some SME operators in Port Harcourt provide answers to these questions. Read on:

Pastor (Mrs) Joy Ezekiel Udoh of ‘Joyce Fashion’, said the sign of season sales were yet to be seen compared to the previous years.
She said, “ both the buyers and shop owners are complaining of lack of money in the system to even stock their shops.
“We only went to market to handpick small goods to keep the business going. Those that managed to buy did that on credit”.
She noted that the increase in price of fuel has further complicated the situation, as the cost of transportation of goods has gone up by 100 per cent.
The owner of ‘Joyce Fashion’ noted that the pump price of N170 per litre “is adding to the sufferings of the business men and women who have not even recovered from COVID-19 and #EndSARS losses.
“The situation is not funny, government needs to help the poor masses”.

A shoe dealer in Mile 3 Market, Diobu, Mr Uchenna Mgbeoji, said the year has already gone, “because COVID-19 changed everything in addition to the #EndSARS protest.
“Things are very expensive in the market and everybody is in trouble. By this time in the previous years, the season was at the peak for Christmas sales but now, the shops are empty because we do not have the money to stock our shops.
“The fall of Naira and the closure of Nigerian borders also contributed to what is happening to SMEs these days.
“SMEs manage to stay in business without making gains. How do you see business men and women staying at home for more than six months in the name of Coronavirus and #EndSARS protest?
“Remember that we paid shops and house rents, in addition to security and other fees. Now, schools have opened, how do we cope with all these problems?”, he asked.
The shoe dealer who also manages a fish pond said that the cost of feed has gone so high that the feed that used to cost N5,300 now cost N7, 300.
“In other countries like Dubai, government takes care of the people but here in Nigeria, the people take care of government which does not care whether you make gains or not”, he said.

The Managing Director of Bernice Boutique, Ewere Ochie, said, “I prefer the time of President Goodluck Jonathan when the Dollar was N170 with the Nigerian borders open for business.
“The prices of clothes are too high in the market, coupled with the transportation hike due to fuel increase.
“They said we are in second recession, as if we had ever gotten out of the first one. This government has failed us. We are only living by the grace of God.
“All we see (hear) are promises upon promises without the fulfillment. Since President Buhari took over office, l have not travelled out of the country to buy clothes for my boutique”.
Bernice Boutique Director said that there was no basis for comparison between this year’s Christmas period and the previous ones in the face of recent COVID-19 pandemic and the #EndSARS protest, which according to him, affected the economy and livelihoods.
“Most people lost their jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic and even borrowed money to pay school fees for their children. So, which one would they use for clothes?
“Sometimes, we open from morning till night without anybody coming to ask for even prices. It is that bad.
She said that SMEs operators, in addition to the cost of running business, suffer the payment of different fees to different bodies who often come to embarrass them.