Feature: Reduce price of Ghana replica jersey

As the start of the FIFA World Cup  draws closer, many Ghanaians would like to be associated and identified with the Black Stars  by purchasing various of its paraphernalia and the replica jersey is one main merchandise by which Ghanaians show their love for the team.

However, one cannot enter a shop in an attempt to purchase an original Black Stars jersey without having a feeling of it being too exorbitant.

This is the main motivation for working hard to interrogate the issue further to bring out this comprehensive report, and I am glad to tell Ghanaians that, there is a remedy.

I started by contacting officials of the Ghana Football Association so I can pose the question, “why is the original Black Stars replica jersey so expensive?”

A very reliable and authoritative force at the FA answered: “We (the GFA) have no hand in the determination of prices of replica jerseys, it is Puma that determines the price. What we do however when we meet with officials of Puma is that we try to plead with them to reduce the prices of the jerseys so the ordinary man on the streets can afford. But they reply by telling us how much money is involved to produce the jerseys and also how it is to cater for all the national sides by providing financial and kits support as captured in the sponsoring agreement”.

Obviously not satisfied with the answers given because it failed to clearly address the substantive issue of the expensive prices of the jerseys, I proceeded to one of the Puma outlets here in Ghana which is the main sales point of replica Puma jerseys.

It was there that i became acquainted with the full facts and practical ways to solve the problem.

A source at the shop explained the issue further, “Even though the prices are set globally, meaning it is sold at a fixed price everywhere, it can be significantly reduced if you order and sell them in bulk”, the source said. At this stage I was a bit confused further explanations were made, “it is far cheaper to produce 10 jerseys as to 2 or 3 at a time. Therefore if I am to order for more than I currently do, prices are more likely to reduce”.

So why aren’t you ordering more? I asked, it replied by saying “ because I am not guaranteed of sales even though the demand is there. Counterfeiters who imports the goods elsewhere and sells them for less which many Ghanaians patronizes diminishes the demand for the genuine goods. And when that happens,  I cannot order more because I’d risk locking up my capital until I am able to sell the merchandise”.

Things at this point were becoming clearer, once we are able to stop the import of fake jerseys and clamp down on those who sells these inferior goods on the streets, People can order more for less because the demand is there which results in the significant reduction of prices for quality products.

Just like it happened in South Africa with the confiscation of fake jerseys on a wholesale basis, Ghana can do same to protect both consumers and people who invests a lot of money to bring in these quality goods.

At the moment, one original Black Star jersey is sold at $75 translating in GHC 1050.00 here in Ghana.

This price certainly is way expensive for a country who majority of its citizens live on less than $2 a day. the source told me if things are done properly and demands are directed towards the quality goods, prices could come as low as $20 which is a much more manageable price.

“Groups and individuals can even come here and buy them in bulk to sell them on the streets like its being done all over with the fake ones”, it said, to make it even more accessible.

After the insightful conversation with the source, I realized that if the responsible authorities stops and confiscate the importation of fake Ghana jerseys, if the FA and the Police Service collaborate to bring to book people who sell these fake jerseys and if we the consumers, stop patronizing them, we would be moving towards buying quality goods for acceptable prices which could even give the FA more basis to ask for more in terms of sponsorship for our national teams.

Ghanaians deserve to support their teams the right way, Ghanaians deserve to buy quality goods at the right price and Ghanaians deserve the best.