Some residents of Lagos have stepped up shopping for this year’s Valentine’s Day celebration, a survey by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) at malls and some online sites have shown.
St Valentine’s Day, also known as Lovers’ Day, is celebrated on Feb. 14 in many countries of the world with the exchange of a variety of gifts.
Besides gifts, many celebrants use the occasion to wine and dine at various eateries, hotels and exotic locations.
The survey, done through officials of shopping malls, revealed that cakes, chocolates, perfumes, makeup and clothes attracted a lot of patronage.
As usual, red symbolises the colour of the Valentine season as it is evident in the items displayed in most of the visited shops.
The cakes go for as low as N1,500, lingerie’s cost N4,500, prices of perfumes range from N7,000 upward depending on the brand and a box of chocolate sells in some places for as low as N1,200.
A cross section of entrepreneurs who spoke to NAN said patronage of products and services had increased for Valentine’s Day celebration items.
They attributed the patronage to the postponement of the 2015 general elections till March 28, which would have made the day devoid of the usual outdoor activities if it had held on Feb. 14.
Mrs Karimot Iyaniwura, Managing Director, Kayz Concept, Lagos, a dealer in clothing, said that she restocked her goods to meet the demands of her customers.
“From my sales record, I observed that men are more disposed to buying gifts than their female counterparts, the female gift package I prepared sold out.
“In fact, I have placed order for more items to meet the demands of my customers,” she said.
Miss Adebimpe Adeyi, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Brownies World Makeup, Lagos, said that pre-order calls to her studio for Valentine’s Day makeup was impressive.
“As at today, I have over 10 clients that have booked for makeup appointments on Valentine’s Day.
“I am planning on getting assistance from other make-up artists to service my clients because more people are still showing interest.”
According to Adeyi, clients don’t mind paying N6, 000 for the make-up session because they want to look good for their partners.
Mrs Sarah Akpomejero, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of BSD Travels and Tour, Lagos, said that some families had seized the opportunity presented by Valentine’s Day to embark on a short trips to exotic locations.
“The number of families that have booked for Valentine’s Day tickets and hotel reservations through us has increased.
“This could be due to the election postponement, Valentine’s Day, being on Saturday and the fact that most schools are on mid-term break,” she said.
Miss Grace Ladipo, Managing Director, Creamy Royalle Cake said, “Most ladies expect cake to accompany their gift so I have a lot of cake to deliver on Valentine’s Day.”
Mr Olatomiwa Akande, Konga Online spokesperson said that sales patronage on the site increased about five times when compared with the previous year.
“This year’s sales are still going on but already our sales are about five times higher than last year.
“Konga started off the Valentine season with the unveiling of a top notch Valentine store with innovative Valentine’s Day gifts at great prices.
“Our customers also have the opportunity to participate in various exciting promotions with opportunities to win fun packages for two.
“In all, the response from our customers is extremely good.
“Our sales steadily climbed up from mid- January when our Valentine store opened and conversations around our various offerings have been rife on social media,” Akande said.