Prices of second-hand clothes soar in Kano

Prices of second-hand clothes, especially cardigans, socks and sports wears have gone up in Kano as the intensity of harmattan increases.

A check by the News News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Sabon Gari Market on Friday showed that cardigans for adults which cost N700 before the harmattan is now being sold at between N1,000 and N1,200.

Similarly, cardigans for children now cost between N600 and N800 as against N400 before the season.

NAN check revealed that people particularly women have continued to troop to the two major second-hand clothes markets at Kofar Wambai and Kofar Mata to buy the commodity.

One of the second cloth sellers at wambai market, Malam Kabiru Pele, said there was low patronage but he made a lot of sales in children cardigans and socks because of their high demand.

Pele said people, particularly women, like wearing socks to prevent dryness and to keep their legs from dust.

“Few months back a pair of socks cost N100 as against its current price of N200 depending on its quality so also a pair sportswear cost N1, 500 as against N1,000.

Another seller, Mansir Umar, said the price of second-hand blankets now cost between N4, 000 and N4,500 as against the usual price of N3,000.

Umar noted that the current economic recession coupled with the crash of the Naira at the parallel market had affected their business.

He said that the prices of second clothing had risen in Togo and Cotonou in Benin Republic, the major transit centre for the business.

“We normally import the materials from Togo and Cotonou in Benin Republic and the crash of the Naira at the parallel market force the prices to go up.

“So, we can say that the crash of the Naira has contributed more to the rise in the prices of the second-hand clothes,” he said.

He said a bail of cardigan which cost N60,000 before, now cost N100,000.

Similarly, adults cardigan which cost N700 before now cost between N1,000 and N1,200.

“People don’t patronise us like before, they prefer to use the old ones they have at home because there is no money,” he said.

He further explained that sportswear bail cost N180, 000 as against between N120,000 and N150,000.

He added that the unit price of sportswear depends on the quality of the product or material ranging from N500 to N700.

Umar also said a bail of socks cost N100, 000 as against N70,000 when the exchange rate was stable.

“We are facing a lot of challenges now due to the low patronage which can be attributed to the economic situation in the country.”