Christmas sales slow in P/Town

The pavements and streets might be filled with toys, ornaments and Christmas trees everywhere, but this Christmas season Princes Town businessmen are reporting slow sales.

According to Simon Peters, owner of the Sidewalk Variety Store, around this time each year, the streets of Princes Town are packed and filled with business activities as shoppers search for Christmas trees, drapes, string lights and ornaments but he says that sales are at their lowest. “Normally during the month of November, lots of people are seen shopping early to avoid the December rush. But it seems that there might be no rush at all. This is indeed the worst start to the season. As a businessman, I am very worried. Even on Fridays and Saturdays which is the busiest day in the week there are no activities,” explained Peters.

Consumers are buying the necessities such as market supplies and groceries and forgetting the glamour and spectacular sights associated with Christmas, he added. There is an increase in the number of young people looking for jobs, however and Peters has had to put his staff on a shift basis because of the slow down in sales. Another businessman Anand Persad owner of Persad’s Mega Store agrees with Peters completely. But he is not as worried. “Well this is the festive season and the season will pick up later on. Many people are now looking around for good prices. And I believe that they will eventually shop for toys, appliances, Christmas trees and all types of ornaments,” he said. He expects that the businessmen will have to cut their prices even further in order to sell their products. “This will leave them little profit and less money to pay workers,” he said.