A Gloomy Christmas for Cameroon Traders
Slow sales leave many with piles of mostly imported goods
27 December 2010
This Christmas is far from merry for some in Cameroon. Traders are grumbling over lagging sales, families say inflation and lagging wages are stifling their holiday and religious authorities complain the season has become too commercial.
Christmas is one of the most popular holidays in Cameroon. In good times, it accounts for upswings in household spending on clothes, food, toys and electronic appliances.
Not many Cameroonians use the Internet for shopping. So, from the busy shopping districts of the country’s hyperactive economic hub, Douala, to the teeming hinterland flea markets, consumers are making last minute purchases in the countdown to Christmas day. Roadside speakers have been blaring from the first week of December, and shop windows, churches and beer parlors are specially adorned for the occasion.
Typically, traders begin planning in November, importing supplies for large crowds of buyers.
Shopping generally gets its biggest boost on Christmas Eve. In rural areas, many wait for the last “market day.” In urban Cameroon, the trend is similar. The week before Christmas is the peak of holiday spending, with wealthier consumers leading the way.
Over half of Cameroon’s close to 20 million inhabitants live in poverty. Many don’t shop until they’ve received their share of the funds from informal savings groups, or “tontines.” But a few wealthy Cameroonians shop well in advance; some even travel abroad to buy Christmas goodies.
最新
2013-11-27
2013-11-27
2013-11-27
2013-11-27
2013-11-27
2013-11-27