A Busy Street : Gifts Glorify Glittery Christmas Time Gasps

Exploring down at Mestawet Tera in Merkato, Addis Abeba, Fortune met with Esrael Endeshaw who was selling plastic Christmas trees for the holiday. He sells the trees in front of its cosmetics shop embarking on the high tree market opportunity that is created by the holiday. Trees are sold at different prices depending on their height and whether they are habesha or ferenj trees, the one that has thorny texture labeled as habesha tree, explained Esrael. The ferenj tree that 1.20 meters tall is sold for 500 Br. Trees with the height of 1.50 meters, 1.80 meters; 2.10 meters were sold for 700 Br, 900 Br and 1,200 Br, respectively, according to Esrael. While the shortest habesha tree is selling at 300 Br and the rest 1.50 meters, 1.80 meters and 2.10 meters are sold at 380 Br, 400 Br and 500 Br, respectively, he added. The prices have no significant increment compared to last year, according to Esrael.

Yoseph Tilahun is a bachelor who had never before bought a Christmas tree but this year the glimpse of decorated displayed trees along the Piazza sidewalks, while he passes by persuaded him to buy one for him. The price is not expensive as I expected it, said Yoseph, while he pays 380 Br for 1.50 meters tall habesha Christmas tree and 70 Br for the light decoration without hesitation.

The price for Christmas lights ranges from 35 Br to 170 Br, depending on its type, according to Belay Shambel, who is filling in for a day for his friend’s shop at Mercato. Another decoration that is used to decorate Christmas tree is baubles which are sold at 35 Br to 80 Br again depending on the type, stated Belay while tinsels are sold at 15 Br, 20 Br and 25 Br based on its thickness and size.

Mahder Abebe is a new comer to the market. She is participating on the Christmas Bazaar that is being held at the Addis Abeba Exhibition & Marketing Development Enterprise (AAEMDE) starting from December 19, 2014 to January 6, 2015.

“I got my products late to the event, so I am only selling habesha trees that range from 1.2 meters to 2.4 meters, having a price of 280 Br and 950 Br, respectively.

Unlike Yoseph, Shiba Buton has a long time experience of setting up a Christmas tree.

“I used to have a 1.5 meters tree but now I would like to change with a larger tree”, Shiba said. “I bought a 2.4 meters tree for 950 Br at the exhibition centre and I consider the price fair, noted Shiba.

Starting from January, 2014 to October, 2014 Ethiopia has imported 3,062,342.7 Br worth lighting sets for Christmas trees that weights 94,277.58 Kg mostly from China. Last year it was 804,250 Br and 166323 Kg.

Another popular item on Christmas is gift cards. It was not long ago many people were seen caring difo dabo (Ethiopian traditional bread) and areqe (traditional liquors) as a gift, while they visit their relatives up on the holidays. But recently these peoples are becoming rare as the gifts are mostly replaced with cards, which in return create a business opportunity in the market.

“I welcome the holiday season with great enthusiasm as it will bring me greater sale,” says Abush Dejene, gift card retailer.

When it is not holiday, he sells posters people can use for the home or beauty salons, which bring him less profit, he added.

Befirdu Atnaw who is the owner of DanRake Printing was buying Christmas cards at Mestawet Tera in Mercato when Fortune approached him. The cards were presents for his employees.

“This is a little that I can do to inspire and spread the joy of Christmas to them at the total cost of around 100Br,” he added, remembering a boss he had who created joy to his employees by giving them holiday cards.

Holiday gifts could weird, such as the one Selome Ketema, 26, remembers getting from friends for her graduation. Her expectations were high, but there was only one small bulb of onion inside. The married mother of three has been exchanging gifts since she was a teenager. Her emphasis now being her husband and her children, for whom she is spending as much as 2,000 Br.

Christmas cards are sold starting from 13Br to 17Br if it is imported, while the locally printed cards are sold nine Birr to 12Br, according to Abush Dejene, card seller. Most customers’ prefer to buy the imported card, as did Solome, who praised the texture, content and quality of it. But, her friend Melkam Zemelak who comes along with her to buy cards argues with her saying that the local’s are better because they signify.


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