Mulutesfa Sete, a vendor selling various holiday items like Christmas trees, said that "buyers are not showing up as expected." He sells trees for 11,000 Br to 70,000 Br and Christmas models made from wood for 1,000 Br to 3,000 Br.

Another large-scale Christmas bazaar and exhibition is being held at the Millenium Hall on Africa Avenue. CBE Birr is the title sponsor at this location and offers a 10pc to 20pc discount on entrance tickets purchased through their application. Visitors are greeted with loud music, but the hall appears less crowded.

Barok Event Organiser, which has been holding holiday bazaars at the Hall for the past year, is hosting 350 vendors for this event. According to Solomon Ambachew, deputy general manager, exhibitions are held for three holidays during the year.

Kassa Tadele, a customer who purchased a solar light and artificial grass at the Exhibition Centre, stated, "exhibitions are the best platform for social gatherings." He said that the hall was less busy compared to previous holidays.

Foziya Denur, a shoe vendor with a shop in the Bole Michael area, paid 80,000 Br for her booth for the 12-day exhibition, while corner booths go for 100,000 Br. She argues that there is not much profit from exhibiting and said that her stall during the Ethiopian New Year exhibition in September cost 60,000 Br. She says that there is less demand for her commodities compared to previous years. “Business has slowed down this year.” She recommended “the organisers do better promotional work.” She believes the economy is in a slowdown and people are unable to afford many holiday commodities, stating that she sells her products at the same price as her shop.

Vendors hope the event could benefit them in exposing and linking them with potential future customers. Tigist Muluqen, sells traditional and modern gift items. She said “the best thing about these exhibitions is exposure, not sales.” She also agrees that promotional work by the organisers could improve. She admits that the number of visitors have decreased this year.

According to economist Atlaw Alemu (PhD), customers should not expect reduced prices but should rather focus on quality and the convenience of finding many vendors in one place. "Usually, products found at bazaars are more expensive than those in outside stores," he said.

He says that exhibitions cater to the middle class, which is currently facing financial stress due to the cost-of-living crisis. “The benefit of exhibitions is to provide a strong platform for connecting with customers and building connections,” he said.

PUBLISHED ON Jan 04,2025 [ VOL 25 , NO 1288]

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