Locally made metal trunk sellers in Accra say their businesses are going through a difficult period as more senior high school (SHS) students opt for suitcases, leaving traders with unsold stock.
The sellers, some of whom have been in the trade for decades, attribute the decline in demand for trunks to changing consumer preferences, the inclusion of suitcases on school prospectuses and the sale of school supplies on campuses.
A trunk seller, who has been in the business for about 10 years, Mr Victor Amankwa, said this year’s sales had been particularly poor for him, with only 20 trunks sold, compared to more than 50 in previous years.
He said a medium-sized trunk sold for GH¢200, the same price as a traditional chop box.
According to him, many young people now consider metal trunks old-fashioned and prefer suitcases, which they perceive as more modern and easier to transport on wheels.
“We have not had any bad feedback on the use of trunks. Suitcases get spoilt easily. The trunk is the best. If they are taking out anything or a chop box, they should make the trunk compulsory,” he suggested.
He cited Presbyterian Boys’ Senior High School (PRESEC) and Achimota School as institutions that still accepted trunks.
Mr Amankwa said parents could also save money by keeping trunks for younger siblings rather than purchasing new suitcases for every child.
“They forget that the trunk can be used by the younger ones coming. Parents do not have to waste money buying another one. They only need to clean and spray it for about GH¢15,” he said.
He argued that listing suitcases alongside trunks on school prospectuses was contributing to the decline in demand and called for a review of the practice.
Local production under threat
Another trunk seller, Mr Peter Anderson, said the decline in demand was affecting a trade that supported local manufacturing, particularly in the Bukom area in Accra.
He said he previously sold more than 50 trunks whenever first-year students were preparing to enter school, in addition to bulk purchases by other traders.
However, he said some of his regular wholesale buyers now purchased only five or 10 pieces because sales had dropped.
Mr Anderson said traders and producers had been left with large quantities of unsold trunks in their warehouses, raising concerns about the money invested in their production.
He urged school authorities to reconsider the inclusion of suitcases on school prospectuses, arguing that trunks remained a durable and reusable option for students.
“For wooden chop boxes, we understand when they say they generate bedbugs in the school. What about trunks?” he asked.
Mr Kobby Frimps, another trunk seller, blamed school authorities for allowing the sale of school supplies on their campuses.
Plastic chop boxes are replacing traditional wooden ones on SHS prospectuses to prevent bed bug infestation
He said parents who would otherwise purchase the items from market traders were increasingly buying them directly from school-based shops.
He expressed concern about the cost of plastic chop boxes, noting that prices and quality varied between the locally made ones and the imported ones.
He said some imported boxes had durable bodies but weaker covers, while local versions had more durable covers, and advised parents to examine the products carefully before buying.
School requirements and traders’ concerns
Madam Serwaa Ampaafo, who has sold trunks and other school items for 34 years, said interventions by some Members of Parliament (MPs), who allegedly supplied trunks and chop boxes to schools for distribution to students, were also affecting market sales.
She argued that such assistance could instead be given directly to parents, allowing them to buy the required items from traders.
“And so, because of this, they did not come to the market to buy. How can they do this to our business? How do they expect us to make sales?” she asked.
During a visit to Accra Girls’ Senior High School, The Mirror saw a shop selling school supplies, including plastic chop boxes.
Some parents who arrived with wooden chop boxes were reportedly asked to take them back and purchase plastic alternatives costing about GH¢350.
There were suitcases in several dormitories visited.
Suitcase sellers also feel the pinch
However, suitcase sellers told The Mirror that the change in students’ preferences had not necessarily translated into sustained sales for them.
At the Okaishie Market in Accra, a suitcase seller, Mr Samuel Osae, said the period of brisk sales lasted only about two weeks this year, compared with the one or two months of brisk business he experienced in previous years.
He attributed the situation partly to the high cost of preparing children for school, particularly the purchase of plastic chop boxes.
He said some parents who spent about GH¢650 on a better-quality plastic chop box could no longer afford a suitcase.
Mr Osae said a single suitcase sold for about GH¢350, while a set of three cost between GH¢600 and GH¢700.