Ethiopia: Business & Economy - Holiday Shopping And Skyrocketing Prices

It is amazing how time flies! Yes, it's holiday vibe again. Being on the eve of Easter, perhaps the most celebrated holiday among Orthodox Christians, it is striking to note that a year has gone by since we had the last one.

Last year's Easter is remembered for many reasons. But the most unforgettable was that there was an outbreak of a deadly virus called the bird flu in Sudan. The celebration at that time was partially shattered by the flu threat. Particularly when one notes the strong linkage between Easter and poultry consumption in Ethiopia, it would not be difficult to understand the extent of the panic.

The massive crash of the poultry industry caused by the almost complete boycott of the output were also remembered as painful recent moments by the sector. In fact, this year's Easter celebration is not free at all from such challenges. For one, we are welcoming the holiday before the wounds from devastating price hikes are still fresh. The discussion about our inflationally challenged economy has not yet wound up, let alone being forgotten. However, in the mist of all this, markets are still as live as ever with the commotion created by holiday shoppers. A few hour's cruise of the major marketplaces in town would tell one that people are in higher mood for shopping as in a preparing to celebrate something extra with an ordinary feast.

It is at the same time striking to notice our extreme loyalty to our holiday extravaganza. No matter how costly it is, the majority still keeps on financing holiday expenses. Abiy Tilahun, a college student, who came to assist his mother shopping, told The Reporter that inspite of the major cutbacks on the purchase of many commodities and services in his family, still the expense on the celebration of holidays remains fairly constant. He said that it is a sort of an written obligation to do special shopping at this time of the year. "Indeed the prices for the commodities are at their all time high, but, nobody is willing to have less of a celebration from the customary one," he added.

Alganesh Hailu, a vendor of vegetable at a commodity market named "Gulit" in Amharic, said on her part that business is always better around holidays because no matter how rich or poor one may be, one always comes out to buy things at such times. However, she did not deny that many complain about expensiveness of foodstuffs yet only few refrain from buying it. Asked about the sales, Alganesh noted that the holiday season is still high time for the sales of her goods and the extra income from this period would also help her to get pay for a number of weeks. Shopping from Alganesh, an elderly woman, who refused to be named, looks at the situation differently. She said that she was delighted to know that Easter was approaching because the fasting season had been a lot tougher on her before. According her, fasting food is generally more expensive than its non-fasting counterpart. "In the latter case, you have the freedom and the choice to consume a variety of foods, making it suitable to pick the less expensive products with all the choices around."

On top of all the excitements about the upcoming holiday, still the pressure of the prices is felt among the majority of the consumers. Still many others that The Reporter spoke to expressed uneasiness about shopping even close to such a big holiday. Stories about having to shift to low price commodities have been dominant. For instance, many said that they refrain from buying sheep, whose price ranged from 250 birr to 700 birr. In its place purchasing chicken for 40 birr seems to be a preferred solution. On the same account, most buyers said that quite a number of products have either been scratched off or been reduced in quantity on their shopping list. With regard to the central ingredients to the preparation of the Easter feast, the price menu has shown an upward trend as most of the other commodities. In particular butter and edible oil reached 40 birr per kilo and 18 birr per liter respectively. The price of an egg, which has been at the bottom same time last year, is now approaching the one birr level [costing around 85 cents per piece]

In general the fast-pacing price level and the strongly-felt decline of purchasing power coupled with our deep-rooted growth challenges have not yet got the power to break our strong attachment with holidays and the associated extravaganza. The marketplace this week has been as packed and lively as before the price-hammered consumers were once again on the move to celebrate their holiday in style.