Opinion / Columnist
My poor shop
03 May 2018 at 13:38hrs | Views
I am an indigenous entrepreneur running a modest general dealer shop in Harare CBD from rented premises. The stock is a 'cocktail of commodities' from groceries to hardware items and other Chinese trinkets.
The long building has many shops with a shared veranda that ideally should provide shelter from the rains to potential customers and those going about. As one can guess, four vendors have made it their business to sell exactly what I sell from my shop. Reaching the entrance to my shop has become a Herculean task, one has to elbow, shove and jump.
Stepping on one tomato will cost you the 'whole purse' since the ever intimidating vendors will force you to buy all their pavement-stock. My rent is in arrears and buying electricity has become a chronic worry for me.
In fact, simple mathematics shows that the four vendors may be pocketing more than I get. Whilst I worry about rent, power, security and my one employee, their worry is on counting coins only. Otherwise for them, its business as usual. At close of business or my shop at nine pm, the four vendors will be still selling. The following morning my employee must clean after the vendors, with the whole veranda reeking of stale urine.
Some people now pass by with fingers pinching their noses to keep the pong at bay. My poor shop.
Tondorindo. Harare
The long building has many shops with a shared veranda that ideally should provide shelter from the rains to potential customers and those going about. As one can guess, four vendors have made it their business to sell exactly what I sell from my shop. Reaching the entrance to my shop has become a Herculean task, one has to elbow, shove and jump.
Stepping on one tomato will cost you the 'whole purse' since the ever intimidating vendors will force you to buy all their pavement-stock. My rent is in arrears and buying electricity has become a chronic worry for me.
Some people now pass by with fingers pinching their noses to keep the pong at bay. My poor shop.
Tondorindo. Harare
Source - Tondorindo
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