The once vibrant Osu Night Market is now experiencing a downturn as traders lament a significant decline in sales.
Traders attribute the decline in sales to the challenging economic conditions in the country, which have constrained consumer spending.
Only a few customers were seen at some food stalls, patiently awaiting their orders at the time of Citi Business News’ visit on a Friday at approximately 7:30 PM.
The market, known for its diverse range of offerings, including pork and smoked fish, Banku, kenkey, rice, and grocery items, has historically been bustling with activity.
Some traders that Citi Business News spoke with disclosed that they now begin operations as early as 4 PM in hopes of increasing their earnings.
Ashiorkor Nortey, who has been selling Banku and smoked fish for nearly four decades, pointed out that the market rarely sees significant foot traffic unless there is a special event.
“Trading has been slow recently. Not long ago, this place was bustling with activity. We used to have a large number of customers coming, both foreigners and locals. During festive times, we see many foreigners visiting, she said.
Similarly, Doris Lamptey, who has been trading for 26 years, attributes the decline in patronage to the adverse economic conditions affecting their customer base. The country is experiencing economic is experiencing economic distress.
“Sales have not been encouraging recently. Previously, I could fry more than five crates of eggs, but now despite starting earlier in the day, I manage to fry only one crate of eggs. Some people arrive here as early as the morning. In the past, between 2 am and 4 am, you could find food to buy, but that has changed recently.
In contrast, Patience Adotey reported experiencing good sales and offered an explanation. “I take care to make my pork appealing to attract customers. There are three of us in the market. Today’s sales have been decent, unlike previous days which were slower.”
One customer, Nii Nortey Dowuona, mentioned that he frequents the market due to the affordability of its food prices. As a first-time visitor to the market, Nii Adotey expressed interest in returning if he enjoyed his meal.
Source:citinewsroom.com