With two weekends now left before Christmas downtown merchants and pavement vendors say the wave of consumer spending which they expect to precede the holidays is yet to materialise.
Investors with considerable stocks of seasonal goods including curtains, artificial flowers, decorative lights, ornaments, toys and gift items and household appliances on hand say that they are waiting anxiously for the anticipated tidal wave of shopping to ‘wash over’ the capital and ease their nerves.
All last week there was evidence of throngs of people in some of the city’s key downtown shopping areas including Regent and Water streets and several of the more popular city arcades and malls though sellers told Stabroek Business that the ‘crush’ was not being matched by the volume of sales.
And in response to suggestions that the payments of salaries to public and private sector workers between this weekend and early next week could trigger the eagerly awaited shopping spree, both established merchants and vendors told this newspaper that this time last year Christmas shopping had already begun in earnest.
Earlier in the week Stabroek Business observed increased numbers of persons traversing the pavements. Rather than being preoccupied with trading vendors appeared engaged in attracting passers-by to their stalls. Mostly, however, the crowds appeared to be making price-related enquiries. This newspaper also noted that several established merchants had resorted to bringing some of their goods onto the pavement, a sign that not enough people were venturing in.
Significantly increased numbers of pavement vendors, seemingly taking advantage of the customary municipal seasonal amnesty were offering curtain rods, inexpensive toys and door mats. The established merchants, meanwhile, had opted to move their curtains – being sold for prices ranging between $1,500 – $6,000 – vases and flowers to the streets. The net effect was to further encumber the pavements and to create a convivial environment for thieves.
Last week, the dominance of Chinese imports was particularly evident with the Shopping Complex China Trading attracting significant crowds of persons who appeared to be spending rather than looking. On the pavement outside local vendors were offering the identical goods, principally flowers and decorative streamers bought from the Chinese stores.
On the Regent Street pavement, close to King Street, Fanie was offering her own artificial floral arrangements at prices ranging from $2,500 – $6,000. Time was when she would bring her goods to the market in volumes. Not anymore. The competition from imported followers has made her cautious. These days her customers must place orders in advance. Business, she said, is “bad.” On Wednesday she sold $3,000 worth of goods of which $800 will go in expenses. On the whole she believes that her takings will be “down” this year.
Not far from the spot where Fanie is having a bad time Vanessa is doing significantly better with her busload of imported flowers. Her own prices range from $3,000 to $13,000. The arrangements seemed attractive and there was evidence that she was doing brisk business. Vanessa made no secret of the fact that she was doing well. When Stabroek Business spoke with her she disclosed that she had been successful in wooing a buyer away from a larger Chinese establishment. Oddly enough her own flowers, bought in the USA were also made in China.
Ashok’s at the corners of Regent and King streets was one of the stores that had brought flowers onto the streets. The salesgirl conceded that flower sales were not doing well. It seemed that only Vanessa was able to compete with the Chinese.
In recent years a considerable number of new trading establishments have been established on that section of Regent Street, east of Bourda market. It is the less congested end of one of the city’s main thoroughfares and towards the end of last week the opening of the American Store, offering electrical appliances, mining equipment and furniture attracted a modest measure of attention.
On the edges of the city, Georgetown’s two furniture and household appliance giants had, by last week, begun to tempt shoppers with attractive gift offers. Giftland, now seemingly having settled for another Christmas without its much anticipated mall, had, since November, set out its ‘Christmas stall.’ As early as the last week in November the store had managed to attract additional shoppers with its carols, Christmas glitz and seasonal offers.
It is the smaller ‘high street’ stores, however, that are waiting for the shoppers to pour in. Some merchants say they are banking on this weekend; others appear to have extended their optimism into the end of next week. The vendors whom we asked shrugged nonchalantly. It seems that they have resigned themselves to taking whatever comes their way.
