BOOM FOR SOME, DOOM FOR OTHERS: THE FESTIVE SEASON SPLITTING SMALL BUSINESSES
By ALEX DOGARA
As the festive season approaches, Nigerian tailors and small business owners are experiencing sharply different realities with some enjoying a rise in patronage, while others battle soaring costs and weak consumer spending.
Tailors remain among the worst affected. Prices of fabrics and essential sewing materials have surged, squeezing profit margins. “The cost of fabrics, zippers, buttons, and accessories has increased.
Inflation and exchange rate issues make everything expensive, yet customers still expect old prices,” says fashion expert Mr. Bitrus Misalai.
To survive, tailors are adopting new strategies. Mrs. Rose Alex, a tailor at Nukkai Market, says many now offer budget-friendly packages and allow installment payments to keep customers. Others are diversifying into ready-to-wear clothing to maintain steady income.
Other small business owners are also struggling with low purchasing power and unreliable electricity.
A business analyst at Kasuwan Bera in Jalingo notes that customers are buying fewer clothes and that events and ceremonies which are major revenue sources have reduced significantly.
But not all businesses are losing. Food vendors, caterers, decorators, and logistics operators are seeing increased demand driven by the holiday season, highlighting a festive period that brings prosperity to some and hardship to others.
