Violet Mbasso Lale
Consumers are increasingly turning to new and attractive products sold at affordable prices, leaving second-hand goods with fewer buyers and less appeal. At exactly 9 a.m on Thursday, September 3, the entrance to the Chinese-owned store popularly known as “Tout à 800” in Ngousso neighbourhood of Yaounde, was already congested with customers waiting in a long queue to get inside.
The crowd stretched along the roadside, leaving little space for others to gather, as customers waited their turn to enter the store, where all goods are sold for FCFA 800. Some customers reportedly arrive as early as 5 a.m to secure a place in the queue, while those who arrive later may have to wait for hours or risk not getting inside due to the heavy crowd.
The trend is also visbible at Home solution, another Chinese store at the Mfoundi market mall, where a variety of household goods are sold at relatively low prices. Similar scenes have been observed at the newly opened mall at the Elig Edzoa neighbourhood of Yaounde.
Clinton Clement, a staff at the Home Solution mall, says their products are sourced directly from producers and attract customers because of their affordability and guarantees. “Our products have at least five years of guarantee. Do you think we won’t have enough sales when most of our things are very affordable?” he says.
According to these Chinese stores, a standard refrigerator costs about FCFA 70,000, instead of FCFA 45 to 50,000 in a second-hand store, same as 32-inch smart television which starts at around FCFA 90,000, while at flea-market, it cost about FCFA 40,000.
On the other hand, the shift in these buying preferences is gradually weakening sales of second-hand goods in Yaounde. Flea-market operators say they are struggling to remain competitive despite the quality of their merchandise. Many travel to Europe to purchase used goods, transport them to Cameroon, clean and service items like refrigerators before putting them on sale.
Kengne Noel, a flea-market owner, specialised in electrical machines and small tools, says his products are becoming difficult to sell, despite reducing prices and offering guarantees of between two weeks and one month, depending on the condition of the items.
Prices of his goods like auto spare parts, ranges from about FCFA 10,000 to 50,000, while others like car batteries cost FCFA 100,000 and above. “European second-hand products are more durable than some new Chinese goods, but their appearance and prices are making them less attractive to our consumers, and we are always trying our best to clean them properly,” he says.
For some customers, however, the attraction goes beyond price. They say flea-market goods no longer always appear cheap or appealing, despite their perceived durability. Some recall a time when second-hand products were highly valued, but say the growing availability of Chinese goods is gradually changing their preferences.
