Nigerians have been described as some of the world’s biggest
spenders more than a few times. A recent research by Guardian UK shows that
Nigerians are the fourth biggest spenders in the United Kingdom.
And we love to shop everywhere. From Dubai to Paris to London to
New York, but London seems to rank as one of the popular shopping destinations
for Nigerians spending four times what UK shoppers typically
spend. The number of Nigerian visitors to the UK increased by more than 50
per cent to 142,000 a year between 1991 and 2011, according to the Office for
National Statistics. Nigeria is projected to become Africa’s biggest economy by
next year and the world’s fifth most populous country by 2050, and London is
cashing in.
The London Evening Standard‘s feature on Simi Osomo, a 25 year-old
Nigerian who makes six trips to London spending a total of £30,000
(N7,622,220) got my attention this morning.
According to the report, she spends about two weeks during each
trip and goes shopping everyday of her trip.
Speaking about Nigerians and their shopping habits, she told the Standard “When it comes to
shopping and Nigerians, I can tell you it’s just what we have to do.”
During every trip, she spends about £5,000 (N1,270,370).
She tells the Standard that aside from the fact that goods are cheaper in
London, it gives her a chance to have a holiday. “You can get lots of things in
Lagos but they are cheaper here and you get to take a holiday and relax a bit.
It’s only six hours away.”
Although she likes the variety of London, Marks & Spencer is
one of Osomo’s favourite shops. “I love their
fajitas. You can’t get them in Nigeria. I also buy soy sauce and Thai green
curry paste, which is good because it lasts for a long time. Oh, and Crunchy
Nut cereal, Skittles, Maltesers and tea. There’s nothing like a British cuppa.
I get Lipton, PG and green tea. I love Zara, H&M, Topshop. But if I want
something more high end, there’s Sloane Street.”
Living in Lagos, Shopping in London: UK Newspaper Features
a 25 Year-Old Nigerian who Spends £30,000 Yearly Shopping on 6 Trips to the UK
When it comes to getting her haul of hopping back to Lagos, she
says it is costly. “All I pack when I come over is one pair of jeans
and three tops. I bring two big suitcases but I always have to get another one
and pay for excess baggage. I never learn.” British Airways has
increased its excess baggage charge on flights from London to Lagos from £40 to
£97 per suitcase in the past year. “They must have realised we always
put an extra bag in and thought they’d try to make money out of it,” she
told the Standard.
During her chat with Standard, she wore a green top from Zara, blue skinny jeans
and new Christian Louboutin shoes. She also planned to buy an iPhone 5 later in
the day for her sister. She said Zara which opened an outlet store in
Lagos six months ago is affordable.
”Zara is affordable because
it’s an outlet but what I find is that things are a bit last season. Nigeria’s
hot all the time so there are always maxi dresses and swimwear but the colours
are boring and we lack variety. Customer service is not great and some shops
can get really crowded, which is challenging.”
According to Osomo, it is not just rich Nigerians who come over
to shop in the UK. “Middle-class
people can afford to come and spend £600 on shopping in a week here. What I
like about the UK is that it doesn’t discriminate. As long as you’re able to
prove you have an income, accommodation in London and a return ticket, the
authorities are more than willing to give you a visa. It’s closer than America
and the customer service here is phenomenal.”
She loves to shop in summer which is the height of the
shopping season, and also comes back for the January sales too. Her mother, a
lawyer, and father, a businessman, often join her. She has just finished a law
degree and is about to start a job in fashion journalism, which she hopes will
give her enough holidays for trips to London.
Photo Credit: London Evening Standard
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