I’ve mentioned going to markets in my last few posts and I thought it would be a good idea to give you all some market shopping advice. I’ve gone to a few different markets and I learned some things that you all could benefit from.
1. Have an idea of what you want to buy.
You should decide if you want to buy fabric, jewelry, shoes, purses, and etc. beforehand. Markets are usually busy and packed with tons of items. Knowing what you want beforehand will help you figure out which stores you want to go to (i.e stores that only sell fabric or stores that sell fancy jewelry and purses) so that you don’t waste time looking at products you will not buy.
2. Don’t stare at products for long.
This is kind of weird but I have a reason for writing this. This especially goes for vendors in the markets who are walking around with their products. If you look at a product try to decide early on if you would be willing to buy it. If you stare or look at the product for a long time, the vendor will think that you want to buy the product and try to force it on you. Therefore, you need to decide if you want the product to avoid any kind of hassle.
3. Arrive with a budget/ Know how much certain products cost
This is kind of common sense and applies when shopping anywhere. However, you really want to arrive with a budget or a set amount that you’re willing to spend. You don’t want to overspend in general or overspend on certain products. There are some rules of thumb on how much certain items should cost. If you come with a budget and an idea of how much certain products cost then you can’t go wrong.
4. Carry a small purse.
Like I mentioned earlier, the markets are packed so it’s you don’t want to have a big purse or bag to carry around. Also, you want to keep your hands as free as possible to hold the bags with all the products that you’ve bought!
5. Go with a friend!
Shopping with a friend is always fun! Also, if you need advice on whether or not you should buy a certain item, you’ll have someone there to help you.
I would definitely recommend visiting HLM and Sandaga market because they are the most popular and sell the most products. However, if you just explore around your neighborhood you can also find some great things.
Until next time,
Su