Belizeans head north for upscale shopping

If you’ve tried to drive through downtown Belize City this week you’ve already discovered that holiday shopping is reaching a crushing crescendo of activity. But Albert and Queen Streets are not the only places clogged with shoppers. As is usual at this time of year many Belizeans are also heading across the Mexican border, some to shop, others simply to play. Last weekend we tagged along with special correspondent William Neal as he checked out what’s new up north.

In the past, buses from all over the country filled with Belizeans bargain hunters, eager to stretch their dollars with devalued Mexican pesos, crowded an outdated border facility and spilled out into heat or rain of the parking lot. Being processed at the Belize-Mexico frontier, particularly before Christmas, was an exercising frustration. Today that exasperating experience is a thing of the past as a modern facility, operated by the Border Management Agency, provides protection against the weather and a smooth transition for Belizeans trekking further north. But the slowed Belizean economy, and increased prices in Chetumal among other factors have curtailed the holiday outflow of Belizeans.

Isaac Sajia, Moneychanger
?I think this year it has reduced a bit. There are not much people crossing this year like last year.?

Isaac Sajia, a moneychanger for the last seven years, is the secretary of the Pesero Cooperative. He says the association is made up of seven members who operate a Casa de Cambio for cost-effectiveness.

William Neal
?As Christmas is nearing have you seen an increase in the number of people coming or it?s steady as it has been for the previous weekends??

Isaac Sajia, Money Changer
?No it?s regular. It?s not as much as the previous years before.?

But a new department store in Chetumal is hoping to attract Belizeans in greater numbers. Liverpool, a well known Mexican chain that has been in existence for over one hundred years, recently opened its doors in the new mall in Chetumal.

Marissa Alamilla Romero, Department Manager, Liverpool
?The store itself is the brand. It?s as if you go to the United States and you have a Macys. You?d rather go buy clothes at Macys than at a Wal-Mart. It?s the same thing here; you get quality and you get service.?

Marissa Alamilla Romero is a Belizean of Mexican heritage raised in Corozal. She is one of the department managers responsible for four sections and sixteen members of staff.

Marissa Alamilla Romero
?I think when it comes to Belizeans, we attract all Belizeans. A lot of Belizeans are used to–in my opinion as a Belizean myself–they don?t mind spending money on clothes or shoes as long as its brand stuff.?

?Right now, I see a lot of Belizeans who I think would go abroad to Miami; let?s say to do their shopping. They are coming here now and they don?t mind spending money?

Shoppers

Vonetta Thompson
?I think it?s wonderful. There are a lots of stuff here for Belizeans to see. It?s great.?

William Neal
?What do you like in particular about it??

Vonetta Thompson
?Well, they have a lot of clothing, jewellery, and you name it, it?s here.?

Amira Gutierrez
?I like that it?s pretty and it has everything you want.?

William Neal
?Anything you like in particular??

Amira Gutierrez
?Bratz.”

William Neal
?Bratz? What?s that??

Amira Gutierrez
?There are like big headed dolls and I love them because they are pretty and they have clothes and everything.?

William Neal
?Is this your first time in Liverpool??

Amira Guiterrez
?Yes.?

William Neal
?What do you like about this store??

Amira Gutierrez
?It has many foreign things, not know to us. For my kid it?s fun because of the elevator and the electric stairways. So it?s something new to him.?

Petronila Cowo
?It has a lot of variety and it?s very much like an American Mall.?

William Neal
?What is your favourite area??

Petronila Cowo
?The chocolate section. Chocolate and perfumes.?

But Liverpool is not the only attraction for Belizeans in the mall. From performances by marching bands…to circus elephants. There is definitely a lot for Belizeans to take in. It has multiple cinemas, the giant grocery chain Chadraui and countless specialty stores.

Jersha Lennan
?This is my first time in the mall and it?s quite impressed because I didn?t know that it looked this way. I felt that as if though I was in Miami or L.A. It?s really beautiful. I wish that we would have something like this in Belize. We wouldn?t have to come all the way over here if we had a place like this in Belize for us to go.?

Tricia Gillette
?It is huge; it?s really huge and impressive. There is a lot of stuff. I think I need a whole day to tour the whole mall.?

Tina Gillett
?So far it?s developed a lot since I last came here and it?s lovely. It has a lot of good things. You just want to shop and don?t want to go back to Belize because the things that you are seeing are great and you want to take everything home.?

Celina Jimenez
?Personally I come here every two weeks to spend time, enjoy and there is a lot of entertainment over here.?

Keith Flowers
?To be honest with you most of my shopping I will be doing will be across the border. Like I said, dah money di stretch further, we di see what we di get fi our dollars across the border. For me I just ride with my family. When my family happy that is what I will stretch my money for, to make them happy.?

Ambrocio Trapp
?For me it is not an attraction. We just came out with the church family just to have a fellowship and as usually I mostly eat?

William Neal
?With Belizeans being bombarded by American television, more people are heading for the border. But the taste they crave is not Taco Bell. It?s McDonalds.?

Asheene Castro
?It?s fun and it has McDonalds.?

Nyreese Castro
?I like the clothes because it?s cheaper than Belize. It?s fun and it has McDonalds that I miss so much.?