Traders and businesses often record low patronage during the rainy season as a result of many factors, including people not willing to get drenched by the rain while trying to make purchases and traders not having spaces to display wares, roads, among others; PAUL OKAH reports.

For traders and businesses, the rainy season is a period of careful planning and spending as a result of low patronage by clients and customers. Unlike in the dry season, during which people can confidently walk into shops and make purchases, people are careful during the rainy season as someone can be caught and drenched by the rain.

Oftentimes, because of the rain, people find excuses not to go to work, school, church or anything that would make them venture out from their houses, while traders in open stores are forced to either not display their wares or pack them once it starts raining.

At other times, many traders spend hours without being patronised as a result of would customers either spend time at home to avoid the rain or run away from the rain and thus wouldn’t stop over in shops to make purchases.

Transportation cost

Speaking with Blueprint Weekend, a businessman, Mr. Theophilus Ajah, said businesses tend to be slow during the rainy season, snacks and other often get low patronage because of restriction in movement of would be customers.

“Transportation of goods for business becomes very high during the rainy season as rain can make some transporters not available, causing the few that can manage to transport amid the rain to raise their cost, with no one willing to buy the items at exorbitant prices. From my experience, the traders will have goods, but when the cost of transportation is added, there will be low patronage because of exorbitant prices.

“Again, from my business observation, prices of goods do rise very high during the rainy season, compared to the dry season causing some to quit because of low patronage. A rainy day always means a bad market, especially for those selling retailing items like cooked food, baked buns, eggrolls, akara, roasted meat and other edibles as there will be slow movement as a result of potential customers staying indoors to avoid being drenched in the rain.

“I can go on and on but it is common evidence that businesses tend to slow down during the rainy season. This is why my people gave a proverb that the firewood you fetched in the dry season will be used to warm yourself in the rainy season, meaning you will have to spend the money you saved in the dry season during the season because businesses will no longer be thriving in the rainy season like in the dry season,” he said.

A hairdresser, Anita Ekanem, said many products cannot be hawked in the rain, thereby disrupting the flow of business.

She said, “It depends on the business involved. Many people like being cuddled by their partners during rainy seasons. They may even decide to cancel some appointments for the day. So, once there is rainfall, they decide not to stress themselves by going out in the rain. So, this causes delays in delivery of scheduled packages. Even drivers don’t see well while driving under rainfall. When it rains roads are often washed away and it takes time to be rebuilt.

“You may also be aware that businesses are usually slow during the rainy season because of farming activities. Like in most rural areas, during the rainy season, farmers are always busy with their farm work and a lot of their capital is invested in the farm, thereby making it difficult for them to buy some other things and causing the sellers to record poor sales.

“Also, when there is heavy rain, it is usually difficult for some people to go about their ways. They prefer to eat whatever they have at home rather than going out in the rain, thereby making businesses stagnant. This is because, even if you have an umbrella, one way or the other, you must be touched by the rain, with many often catching cold. Spoilage is also one of the reasons businesses slow down during the rainy season, in the sense that some products cannot be carried around during rainfall because they will get damaged. Such products cannot be displayed in the rain for patronage.”

Environmental factors

However, a civil servant, Moses Njama, said poor planning of markets is the reason for poor sales as many traders often lack where to display goods.

He said, There are several factors responsible for slow business during the rainy season. For instance, most Nigerian markets are built without an adequate drainage system. Hence, it is always flooded during the rainy season, resulting in little or no sales for business owners. The rainy season deprives business owners who do not have shops or shades, the opportunity to sample their products whenever it rains.

“Also, due to the lack of a good drainage system in our local markets, whenever it rains, the market environment accumulates so much dirt that it makes potential buyers lose interest in going to the market. It causes a case of ‘fewer buyers, little sales’ for the business man/woman. Again, business owners encounter low patronage. Perishable goods like fresh pepper, tomatoes, okra, etc cannot stand the test of time.

“So, the rainy season usually disrupts business activities because it can rain for a long period, thereby restricting people’s movement. Rainy season tends to cause fall in prices mostly for perishable goods like tomatoes. People don’t really display their products outside due to the fear of the rain and flooding, which can also happen in most cases when there is a downpour. Movement is somehow restricted because of the fear of being beaten by rain.”

Expert’s take

Speaking with this reporter, a developmental economist, Mrs. Blessing Nwachukwu, said businesses actually thrive during the rainy season as people must feed regardless of the weather.

“It is safer to say most businesses slow down during the rainy season because of factors like distortion of movement due to rain and thunderstorm, momentary unavailability of taxis, motorcycles and other automobiles that aid transportation. Even timely closure of businesses due to heavy downpour can lead to low patronage.

“Even people building houses are sometimes disturbed by the rain as mixed cement will be damaged by the rain or blocks destroyed when recently moulded. The rainy season reduces some buyer’s conversion, compared to the dry season due to unfavourable road conditions. It is hard to travel through floods in the city during heavy rain.

“However, businesses generally may not be bad during the rainy season because some businesses actually require rainfall to thrive. For example, businesses like sales of shower caps, umbrellas, cooked corn, fast food, among others thrive in the rainy season. Most climate conscious businesses are likely to either boom or fail depending on the time of the year. Most meagre businesses display their wares in accordance with the season.

“So, granted that the rainy season always slows down businesses, it is not for people selling food items. Food items thrive during the rainy season because, whether you sell or not, it will not stop you from eating. However, something like ice cream will sell better in the dry season, just like some certain fruits and vegetables like fruit salad business, while others cannot sell well during the rainy season,” she said.

Corroborating Nwachukwu, a businessman in Abuja, Musa Karshi, said people often take advantage of the rainy season to buy goods at cheaper prices, especially perishable items.

He said, “The rainy season slows down businesses, but also has advantages. During the rainy season, road constructions are slowed down because the rain always disrupts the activities of the contractors. If you notice very well, most of the road constructions across the country are always done during the dry season so that their work will be solid.

“Again, in-house construction and block moulding business, building and blocks need sun to dry and solidify. If a house is supposed to be completed in a space of three to five months, you will see that most times, because of the rain, the work will be stopped to avoid damages. Those selling building materials will record low patronage because it is not the priority of many people. Again, how many people will go to buy clothes and clothes, when hunger is the priority?

“However in as much as the rainy season slows down business, there are still some businesses that do well during the rainy season. For instance, during the rainy season, you will see that perishable goods are always cheap to buy because they are seasonal and in abundance as a result of the rainy season, including groundnuts, vegetables, corn, tomatoes, pepper, among others.

“As a result of the rain, you will notice that people who are into the rubber shoes business always make more profits. The reason is that most people can’t enter the rain with their expensive leather shoes. As a result of that, companies producing them always make more profits, likewise those selling them in the market. Other products such as rain coats, umbrellas and shower caps are equally good businesses done during the rainy season because every individual or household needs them.”