CHARLES KONG SOO

With surplus merchandise and inventory on hand until Christmas Day, store owners and vendors are offering sales, bargains, reduced prices, and discounts on their products in an effort to entice shoppers to shop for their purchases. shopping in downtown Port-of-Spain.

Many business owners reported a general decline in sales compared to Christmas sales in previous years, some blamed the disappointing sales on COVID-19 and the resulting loss of jobs and purchasing power and inclement weather over the past week and on Christmas Eve was also a factor preventing more people from shopping in the nation’s capital.

Speaking to the Sunday Guardian on Christmas Day, Jonathan Chams, owner of Linen World on Henry Street, said: “This is the first time we’ve opened for Christmas. We have just opened the Port-of-Spain branch; It’s a good day.

“We just opened for four hours to offer last-minute shoppers great deals to buy and tidy up in their homes on Christmas Day.

“It’s a bit slow; it’s Christmas, everyone is at home with their family, but we still have a good participation little by little.

“People are buying blackout panels, quilts, quilts, sheets, curtains with panels, rugs, rugs, blankets, towels and we will give a 20% discount on Boxing Day. ”

A customer shops at The Linen World on Henry Street, Port-of-Spain on Christmas Day.

ANISTO ALVES

Grayson Joseph, from Port-of-Spain, a Linen World customer said he was doing renovations and came to get blackout curtains.

He explained that he didn’t want to shop during the “big rush” of the week, the Christmas opening was very convenient for him as well as for people who were doing last minute shopping.

Jade Sandy, a sales clerk / cashier at Tech Access electronics store on Frederick Street, said Christmas Day wasn’t that busy. He said, however, that some customers have come for additional gifts for the children.

Sandy said sales were not as busy as last year, but the store’s electronics, cellphones and accessories, toys and video games sold well.

He said their two best sellers for Christmas were Fire Sticks and Amazon Tablets. The store was also opening Boxing Day and should hopefully be busier than Christmas Day.

A Charlotte Street vegetable vendor with 24 years of experience said they usually go out on Christmas Day, however, they have a lot of excess produce left.

He lamented that there had been more rain than sales, they were used to encountering rain but not on Christmas Eve.

Mark Todd, who has been selling on Charlotte Street for 15 years, slept through the night keeping his haberdashery, slippers and toys on his stalls.

He revealed that the pandemic slowed everything down, he was tired, exposed to the sun and the rain, the latter took Christmas away.

Todd explained that he had to sell his items, which cannot stay for a year or they will rot.

“Toymaster” said they were offering great deals on assorted toys, remote control cars and dolls, and bikes were reduced from $ 1,000 to $ 500 or $ 600.