Imagine a future where majority of Ghanaians will no longer wake up early to battle traffic to Makola or Madina Market, negotiate prices with market women or struggle home with bags of groceries, but instead, with a few taps on a smartphone, food, clothing, household essentials and other purchases are brought straight to the doorstep.
For many young Ghanaians, this is increasingly becoming an attractive way to shop. This growing trend is driven by smartphones, social media, delivery applications and the desire for convenience.
Online shopping among Gen Zs is gradually changing how the younger generation discovers, purchases and receives goods.
But as these Gen Zs develops these habits and gradually grows into the dominant spending force in Ghana’s economy, an important question emerges: what will become of the country’s traditional markets?
The Shopping Revolution Is Already Underway
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The revolution is not just mere sentiments but backed by data. Research suggests that this behavioural shift is more than a passing trend.
For instance, a 2021 study by Frederick Pobee, titled Modelling E-commerce Adoption Factors Among Gen-Z in a Developing Country: The Case of Ghana, surveyed 522 Gen Z respondents. It found that ease of use, access to supporting facilities, information quality and reliable digital systems significantly influenced their intention to adopt online shopping.
Also more recently, a May 2026 research account published by Ashesi University, From Scrolls to Sales, examined how social media content and digital platforms influence purchasing decisions among Ghanaian Gen Z consumers.
It observed that young shoppers increasingly use Instagram, TikTok and WhatsApp to discover products, assess sellers and make purchasing decisions. However, not everyone completes purchases online, with some still preferring physical shops.
Not Just Ordering Food
One maybe tempted to think the growing trend is just in the space of the online food shopping. But the available data reveals that that is not the situation.
The expansion of delivery services offers another indication of changing habits. Bolt Food reported that orders beyond restaurant meals, including groceries, pharmaceutical products and household essentials, increased by 154% in the first half of 2026 compared with the same period in 2025.
This suggests that ordering through digital platforms is extending beyond occasional food purchases into everyday shopping.
What Happens to Makola, Madina and Kaneshie if Gen Zs Become the Spenders of the Economy?
The implications for traditional markets could be significant. For the older generations, markets such as Makola, Madina, Dome and Kaneshie have served as the backbone of Ghana’s informal retail economy, connecting farmers, wholesalers, retailers and millions of households.
But if today’s young consumers increasingly prefer shopping from their phones, traditional traders could eventually face a shrinking share of the next generation’s spending.
The United States Department of Agriculture’s 2025 Ghana Retail Foods report indicates that small local grocers still control about 83 per cent of the food retail market, demonstrating the continued dominance of traditional and informal retail channels.
Yet today’s market dominance does not guarantee tomorrow’s.
Adapt or Risk Losing the Next Generation
For now, traditional markets are unlikely to disappear overnight. Fresh produce, competitive prices, bargaining and the ability to inspect goods physically remain important advantages.
However, market traders may need to embrace WhatsApp ordering, digital payments, delivery partnerships and online product displays to remain competitive.
The bigger question is whether Ghana’s traditional markets can evolve alongside their customers.
As Gen Z grows into the country’s major spending generation, the businesses that understand and adapt to its preferences may capture a larger share of consumer spending.
For Makola, Madina and other traditional markets, the challenge now is learning how to reach a generation that increasingly expects the marketplace to come to them.
