London retail shop adopts Hausa language to woo customers

A London leading retail shop, Debenhams, has adopted Hausa, a language spoken by nearly 45 million people in West Africa including Nigeria, to woo customers as race for summer sales starts.
The retailer had placed a bold sign reading: “Na gode don sayayyarka a Debenhams’’ in Hausa meaning, “Thank you for shopping at Debenhams’’ at the entrance of its Oxford street Branch in London.
Speaking to a group newsmen on the issue on Wednesday Mr Marcus Appleton, a Senior Store Manager said the decision was based on an assessment of its shoppers who come from outside Briatain.

He said it was discovered that 71 per cent of foreigners who visited the shop in 2010 are Nigerians followed by Chinese and the Arabs.
Appleton noted further that while some of it Nigerian customers were keen on designer suits, Chinese shoppers favoured cosmetics and perfumes.
According to the 2001 census, more than 300 languages are being spoken in London.(NAN).



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