Despite high cost of living, business is booming for Christmas
We’re winding down perhaps the busiest shopping day of the year as around the country consumers are making their last minute purchases. And while some companies report that they have experienced a drop in sales this season, others say business has been brisk. Jose Sanchez reports.
Jose Sanchez, Reporting
Christmas is a fun time for kids, but it is no holiday for the trade industry. In fact it is one of the busiest seasons and in the month of December many businesses experience a surge in sales. The sagging U.S. economy has depleted the remittances that Belizean Americans traditionally send to families here in the jewel. Despite the dip, Santino Castillo, the head of the SanCas group of Companies says that Belizeans should spend to keep our economy alive.
Santino Castillo, C.E.O., SanCas Group of Companies
“When Belizeans get coward and stop generating that cash flow, that’s what makes the economy shrink. We can’t be afraid to shop when we need to shop. That’s what happened in many cities in the United States; it shrunk. I think that Belizeans are really feeling comfortable that things will be alright, there’s a brighter future and I think so myself and this is the result of it; good shopping for Christmas.”
To see what Belizeans are spending, we visited two of the larger grocery and department stores, Save-U and James Brodies. Though one of the commercial giants of Belize City, Brodies, has been suffering from the Albert and Regent Street development project.
Sherman Sawyers, Manager, Brodies, Albert Street
“Well, it’s pretty slow due to the fact that we got a lot of inconveniences due to the street closures and not being able to find parking for our customers. The customers are very much inconvenienced in getting to our stores.”
Castillo concedes that September and October were slow months but sales have picked up since, partially due to promotions offered at Save-U.
Santino Castillo
“November and December have really picked up specifically, the first of December we saw a multitude of customers coming in and everything seems to settle down and everyone is really shopping. We sell food products at both bottom dollar and save-u supermarkets here in Belize City so we’ve seen no shortage of customers and we are very pleased.”
Sherman Sawyers
“Some customers who reach our stores are picking up their groceries and getting their toys. We have our toys on special, decorations are on special; twenty percent off. Christmas trees are fifty percent off and they are getting their baskets full and taking home their goods for Christmas.”
While Sawyers is hoping for the best, there are customers like Sarah Requeña, who came from Caye Caulker to find special holiday items in Brodies.
Sarah Requeña, Shopper
“I’m coming to do some grocery shopping, to get some stuff to finish my Christmas baking, looking around for gifts for the kids. I haven’t done much shopping yet so we’re just starting.”
Jose Sanchez
“What kind of gifts are you getting for the kids?”
Sarah Requeña
“I got two girls as you saw right here. I was looking at hair products, beauty things, my little fashionistas, have to fix them up. And I got one son who’s an avid fisherman so I’m gonna see what I can get him for fishing.”
Jose Sanchez
“And you’ll find all that right here?”
Sarah Requeña
“I think I can find a lot of it right here. Yeah, circle around a few places too but I can always count on here.”
There are other shoppers who are thrifty with their purchases, like weather forecaster, Frank Tench.
Frank Tench, Shopper
“Just doing the necessary shopping to tie me over the holiday season, some items like bread and a few nibbles and basically shopping but if I don’t do it now, I’ll probably get caught out during the long holiday season.”
Jose Sanchez
“Things for the rainy weather?”
Frank Tench
“Yes and no.”
Nial Gillett, Shopper
“As far as we are spending, we are just getting the usual things for the children, try and get a few things for the parents, one or two things for the house, but definitely not like last year.”
And most of what is being bought indoor is being displayed outdoors. The biggest sellers of the season that are keeping Santa’s economy afloat and in the air are inflatable Christmas displays. Reporting for News Five, Jose Sanchez.
