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In the Cape Coast Metropolis of the Central Region, the hike in prices of gifts and souvenirs, according to some shop owners, has reduced patronage ahead of the celebration, reports Edith Mensah, CAPE COAST.

The patronage of Valentine's Day souvenirs and other items for the occasion was quite low when The Mirror visited the Kotokuraba market, which is the biggest market in the metropolis. Surprisingly, most shop owners had no Valentine-related souvenirs and gifts in their shops.

The shop owners blamed the situation on the increasing rate of duty at the ports and the exorbitant cost of some of the items, which would not enable them to make any gains nor break even if they stocked them.

In an interview, one of the shop owners at the Kotokuraba market, Mrs Efia Payne, said generally, sales had been poor since the beginning of the year, which she anticipated would continue into the Valentine's Day celebration.

"Sales is already low and this is a one-day event, so if you're not a savvy businessperson, you might be out of luck.

"I didn't want to take that risk at all because things are hard and people are not willing to spend on Valentine's Day," she explained.

However, some shop owners who had displayed souvenirs and hampers in their shops for the occasion lamented the low patronage.

One of them, Ms Benedicta Fynn, said "this year, the majority of those who come here to buy toffees and a few chocolates are from junior high and senior high schools. People don't appear to be interested in the teddy bears and other hampers we have wrapped for the celebration because when you tell them the price, they just walk away or buy toffees and go".

She, however, expressed confidence that despite the poor turnout, sales would be good on Valentine's Day, adding that for some people, the day would simply be like any other working day with no extra preparation required.

"The system is already hard and there is no money and some of us are working on Monday, so it doesn't really excite us," Ms Fynn said.

Activities
Regardless of the less colourful preparations for the occasion, some businesses in the Cape Coast Metropolis were looking forward to providing exciting programmes for patrons ahead of the celebration.

The Ridge Royal Hotel, for instance, has planned a number of activities to honour the occasion.

In an interview, the General Manager of the hotel, Mr Samuel Obiri Aduama, said the events planned were meant to project the metropolis and its wealth of economic potential, particularly in the hospitality industry, to the outside community.

The situation seems not to be different in the Ashanti Region. The fuss and buzz that characterised the celebration of Valentine's Day in the past seems to have died down this year, reports Kwadwo Baffoe Donkor, KUMASI.

There is very little noise being made about the day, which is a sharp departure from what used to be in the past where by this time, most of the radio stations would be running promotions and events lined up to observe the day.
Even items such as teddy bears, chocolates, sexy lingerie and cards seemed missing from the market.

Low key
A walk through the Central Business District (CBD) of Kumasi saw just a handful of traders selling items associated with the day, unlike in the past where the streets were all usually awash and literally painted in red and white items. Unfortunately, it is the opposite this time.

Even patronage of these items have also gone down, an indication that the buzz associated with the day is gradually fading away.

A trader at Adum, Madam Yaa Serwaah, told The Mirror that sales were low as compared to the previous years.

She said the economic hardship currently being faced by the country could be a contributory factor. Nonetheless, she was hopeful that things would pick up this weekend.

Churches
The churches have also found innovative ways of keeping the youth in church during such days to prevent them from indulging in acts that can be detrimental to their future.

For instance, the St Peter’s Catholic Church at Asuoyeboa has for the past few years been organising programmes every Valentine’s Day for the youth.

This year, under the auspices of the Youth Council, the church is organising a movie night with popcorn and some local drinks.

Dubbed Val’s Day Festival, the programme is aimed at giving the youth an alternative to the more secular programmes outside the church where they wil be exposed to things that could lure them into vices.

From Ho in the Volta Region, Jemima Achivors reports that the capital town of the region is gradually drowning in a sea of red, the colour associated with the day.

Some fashion boutiques are displaying the latest trend of women and men's clothing, shoes and accessories.

The season is also getting its common feature of gifts ranging from perfumes, chocolates, wine, cards, among others.

Interestingly, florists are losing out on the day which is commonly celebrated the world over with gifts of flowers.

A flower vendor, Madam Mavis Attah, lamented that she would not be able to cash in on the big day due to little interest in the purchase of flowers and, therefore, had low expectations about her sales in the lead-up to the day.

Meanwhile, other gift shops had displayed an array of gift hampers for customers to purchase for their lovers.

A pastry shop in Ho, Klassic Bites, for instance is offering its customers with Valentine packages of assorted food, including cupcakes, wine, chocolates and jollof.

Hohoe
Hotels, restaurants and bars, including Kikis Court in Hohoe, are looking forward to providing partners with a romantic evening dubbed: 'Love Circles', as well as other two-in-one offers.

Charity
Several benevolent organisations, including social group KCFC, are gearing up to demonstrate love for their fellow underprivileged Ghanaians with donations, parties, clean-up exercises, among others.
The KCFC will on Saturday make a donation of assorted items to the Ho Female Prison Inmates to include them in the celebration.

Churches
Churches such as the Holy Rosary Parish in Hohoe will also make the day a grand one with choreographies, live band sessions and an exchange of gifts for their members.

Celebrants
While the euphoria heightens, ironically, there are lovers who are not enthused about the day. A clothes seller, who gave her name as Gertrude, and her partner Jacob said the celebration was not a necessity since all 365 days of the year were essential for the display of love and affection.