My friday market experience of the grocery stores
Weekends are usually looked forward to here in Nigeria because the weekdays are mostly full of activities and one barely has time to breathe. Today, I had the opportunity to travel to another town within the same state, and I got to experience two interesting markets.
A good number of times, we are tempted to have a stop-over at neighborhood grocery stores to buy foodstuffs that we can easily access, whatever the cost that may be put on them.
AN EXAMPLE OF A NEIGHBORHOOD GROCERY STORE
IMAGE CREDIT IS MINE
Here, for these six to seven pieces of tomatoes in the neighborhood market, a bowl is sold for N200 ($0.27), which is considered exorbitant and exploitation, whereas on market days such as those I experienced outside of town, similar bowls of tomatoes went for N100 ($0.14) or even cheaper, especially when buying in bulk.
MARKET DAY AT AJASE-IPO
IMAGE CREDIT IS MINE
The major challenge is the logistics of reaching those markets that are usually distant from residential houses and the fact that one may need to wait for market days to make cheap purchases. Usually on market days like the Ajase-Ipo market I experienced while traveling, many traders do converge to exchange for money and goods what they have to sell, and since most are fresh farm produce, they may have more nutritional value compared to those in the neighborhood that may have been kept there for days.
Weekends like this are great opportunities to make cheap and fresh purchases of farm produce directly from traders. Some of us also use the weekend to make varieties of soup against the busy week ahead, such that the soups are preserved and withdrawn for use whenever the need arises. This is one of the ways to avoid patronizing neighborhood markets that may be expensive and not have farm-fresh produce.
Thank you for reading. I hope to have your comments and contributions 🤗
I think the money spent on transport to get to the bigger markets is made up in your savings (by going to the cheaper market) There is no comparison to the neighborhood markets, but, sometimes you have to take what you can get.
The larger markets are a little dirtier but, in the big scheme of things, the food is fresher and cheaper. Plus the fact that you can buy in bulk and make more meals for less money.
Which market do you go to the most?
#MarketFriday began as a way to reach out across the globe and learn about different cultures through their markets, especially local markets and farmers' markets, and eventually branched out and evolved over time from straight shopping to a cultural affair as it highlights how we differ and then again, how much we are alike. We have become a melting pot of culture, but it is still the Rituals, Festivals, food, architecture, and even your language/languages that separate us... Along with the fact that these things are normal for us. There are unwritten rules that rule our social behaviors. I see this as allowing for increased tolerance between cultures and nations, and opportunities to come together on an even playing ground. A strong culture can be beneficial to a country as it promotes unity, especially during a crisis, peaceful debate, and open dialogue. I have learned so much about all of you and it has been an amazing experience. I can only hope that learning about each other can help us work together for a peaceful world.
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