Tribal West
Photo Credit: Fume Fasoyin.
When a friend called to tell me about the Lagos countdown exhibition holding at Bar beach and asked if I was interested, I immediately said yes, but a part of me was screaming Bar beach!, are you sure you're interested? THUGS, no no no danger zone. Like she knew what was playing in my head she quickly told me about the organizers and how the exhibition was to take place, then I thought well, if LASAA is involved, I have nothing to worry about... and I was right. The stalls were not only free, we were given adequate security as well as electricity for everyone. After signing the proper documents we were given tags to wear and stalls to put our stands.
Excited, i woke up early on the day the exhibition opened, rushed through the morning ritual of bathing and all, gathered my wares and headed straight for Bar beach. By 10:00 am we had finished displaying our wares amidst gisting and all. lucky for me i had three other friends (E.R.A Wears, Pen's Place and Tribal West) exhibiting as well which made waiting for customers not too boring.
After waiting under the sun, sweating profusely from heat for close to eight hours, I was exhausted and at my wits end, for the first time I understood the sad expression on a market woman's face when you ask how sales are going and she replies that "business isn't going well". I felt totally like that, sad and frustrated because, i didn't just sit there waiting i was practically hollering at the top of my voice, "buy your deodorant! roll-ons" so shoppers will stop and buy and this earned me the nick name "roll- ons". One would think that at the price it was going for it would be a piece of cake and everyone will of course want one, if not more to give to friends and family. To my surprise, I did not sell one roll on or any of the items on display for a major part of the day.
Pens's Place
Olori's Place
Just as I was packing my wares to go home, two people stopped by my stall and bought jewellery. Am guessing someone up there felt my pain.
In all, the whole exhibition went well, i made great sales, new friends like "Olori's Place" ( Fashion on Wheels) and "Lush". I guess its okay to sometimes go outside of your comfort zone, so as to understand and feel others when they tell you how things are going for them.
In my case, if a fish seller, cloth weaver, and hair stylist tells me no sales........I KNOW!
Respect to all market women out there in whatever profession YOU ROCK!!
awwww....may God bless all them market woman.
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