Mixed fortunes for businesses for Old Year’s

Businesses in Bridgetown have reported mixed fortunes in their sales for Old Year’s Night.

A Barbados TODAY team visited several clothing stores, hair salons and other establishments, and while some were pleased with the patronage they received, others said sales were slower than last year at this time.

Store clerk at Dallas Discounts, Nakita Carter said all was going smoothly, with men purchasing dress shirts and ladies preferring black dresses to ring in the New Year.

“Right now things are going great,” she said.

At Pretty Girls Salon located in City Mall, owner Kareen Best said she expected her regular clientele to patronize her business this year, although she admitted that sales were not as good as last year.

“It wasn’t too bad. Quite a bit of people came through . . . . I got my people coming through,” she told Barbados TODAY.

Over at Fusionz Boutique in Tudor Street, sales assistant Shanice Lorde said that due to the store’s affordable prices, people had been heavily patronizing the store.

“Sales have not been bad because everything [in the store] is cheap. Everybody running in and buying things for the Old Year’s,” she said, adding that this year persons were opting for either black or white ensembles.

A devout Christian who identified herself as Francia told Barbados TODAY she was purchasing an outfit from Fusionz Boutique to wear to church.

“I am going to church tonight so I am just looking for something to suit the occasion, but chances are I may buy it and not wear it. I go to church every Sunday and I give God the glory he deserves every day of my life. I do not just go on occasions,” she said.

At No Limit Boutique, sales clerk Lisa Mitchell said sales were dismal.

“It wasn’t as we expected it to be. After the Christmas season it was not as busy. A lot of people not coming in as we expected,” she said, adding that glittery and sparkly dresses were all the rage for Old Year’s Night 2018.

Margaret Holligan, a supervisor at 5th Avenue Fashions in Bolton Lane, said business for the climax of 2018 has been “up and down”.

As for what those who come in were looking for, she said the preferred style for the ladies was clothing with lots of sparkles while the gents were looking for blazers and dress shirts.

Over at Hide ‘n’ Chic, one of the stores damaged in an October 19 fire, sales clerk Chernelle Griffith said business has been good since the reopening in November.

Zeroing in on shopping for Old Year’s Night, she said the store has been hectic.

“Most of our styles are best sellers because some want to go with glamour, some want to go simple, so we cater to all sorts,” Griffith told Barbados TODAY.

Owner of Jayson’s, Chandru Thani said sales had surpassed his expectations, with some items almost sold out with hours to go until the end of 2018.

“People are very money conscious these days and they want to spend a certain amount of money. In Jayson’s we have a range for the smaller pockets and if you want to do something fancier, we cater for that,” he said.

“A lot of our shimmery things that were at affordable prices sold out already . . . . We have done some styles that sold out from the minute we were putting them out.”

At Caribbean Fashions in Tudor Street, a female sales clerk who declined to be named, said sales this year were slow compared to last year. Those who were coming, she said, were looking for cheap clothing, particularly sparkly and shimmery outfits.

Meantime, at New York Dapper Cuts, also located in Tudor Street, barber Adrian Biggz Patterson said the barbershop had not been as busy as usual.

“I reckon people are either doing more shopping or people just being cautious with their spending,” he told Barbados TODAY, adding that fades and waves were the preferred haircuts for the year.

In Swan Street, the General Manager of Legacy Barbershop, Bolo Sanchez said Old Year’s Night business had started slow but was picking up.

“People want designs and a round-up for the New Year,” he told Barbados TODAY.