The focus on fashion as a feature of contemporary entrepreneurial choices in Guyana is, arguably, the most pronounced propensity in the realm of business in contemporary Guyana. The trend derives largely from the role that information technology now plays in the sharing/marketing of ideas in the fashion sector. Brands and styles that appear in shops and stores in the United States and France today, can just as easily ‘turn up’ in outlets here in Guyana tomorrow. In circumstances where disposable income is available, Guyanese consumers, all too frequently, yield to the temptation to stay in step with apparel and scents from the world’s style and fashion capitals.
Walk into Catherine Hinds’ Paris Originals situated at 303 Section A Block Y Golden Grove, East Coast Demerara and you will get the point – a sense of the extent to which contemporary consumer taste influences the manner in which business houses that specialize in ‘style and fashion’ present themselves. Even at a location that is situated some distance from the country’s capital, the Proprietrix is mindful of the likelihood that many of her potential customers could be ‘well off,’ just passing through from the capital. She wants to be ready for any eventuality, not least a ‘well off’ visitor from the city, perhaps. She has gone to ‘some trouble’ to IMPRESS. The fragrance from the scented candles ‘accost’ you at the entrance to the store, it is pronounced without being overpowering, seemingly designed to evoke a sort of touch-of-class sensation feeling.
The soft music fits snugly into the ‘setup.’ The ‘originals’ are authentic. They are what we in Guy-ana sometimes refer to as ‘The real Mc Coy.’ Launched in December 2021, Paris Originals is part of the European ‘online’ shopping chain. ‘The convenience,’ Cathe-rine says, ‘is that its attraction is located in the fact that you don’t have to go far to get the best’. The convenience, Catherine asserts, is a matter of living in some far corner of the globe but being able to ‘pick up stuff’ in New York London or Paris. Online, Catherine believes, is the equivalent of ‘traveling without traveling.’ Local online stores, she says, have become crowded places. Touch and scent are part of the process of making up minds. Simul-taneously, the online option has created entrepreneurial openings for proprietors who had not, previously, thought of ever going down that road.
Here in Guyana it is still very much an emerging sector. Paris Original offers customers both gift ideas and gift-wrapping services. There is also a home delivery service for online patrons. Purchases are also realized through her Facebook and Instagram pages. Her online customers come mostly from Georgetown, East Coast and East and West Bank Demerara. What Paris Originals is, today, Catherine says, is largely a function of her learning from her customers. One of the things she learnt is that goods would only be sold if there was a realistic relationship between price and quality. Accordingly, she reduces her own takings in order to attract customers.
Last Christmas she sold 80% of her stocks. The Paris Originals’ inventory is extensive – home décor, school supplies and an assortment of gift items for both men and women. Some of the products are; Bed Sheets, Quilts, Curtains, Perfumes and Colognes as well as Shoes, Sneakers, Wallets and Watches are, she says, good sellers. Children’s apparel and school supplies are also among her ‘offerings.’ She had always had a wish to be self-employed. The habit of giving gifts led her to her current occupation. What helped too is the fact that she is a ‘special occasions’ kind of person. Paris Originals may have been created with an eye to ‘cornering’ a share of the ‘holiday shopping’ market. It metamorphosed, however, extending into niches like special days (Mothers’ Day, Fathers’ Day, Sea-sonal Occasions, Brithdays et al) as well as religious holidays.
That she stocks some teaching supplies is not surprising. She had been a teacher for twenty-seven (27) years, her teaching career ending with her holding the position of Headteacher. The transition across pursuits, she says, had been smooth. Running a school, she says, is not altogether different to running a business. In both pursuits doing a good job requires a sense of ‘accountability.’ Nor does Catherine’s entrepreneurial ambitions stop here. She is currently engaging the Guyana Tourism Authority on the establishment of a Bed and Breakfast facility.
