Slow seasonal sales say vendors

With Christmas four days away, vendors operating along the Fairchild Street stretch have reported slow sales.

Several vendors told Barbados TODAY that in recent weeks they have barely been making what they describe as a few dollars, and noted that they are hoping that Barbadians who continue to shop for household items, will remember to support their small businesses.

Sandra Findlay reported that one day last week, she only generated $3 in profit.

“It really slow. I sell $3 in items and my girlfriend told me that I only need 50 cents to get home. Saturday gone, all I was doing was sleeping,” Findlay said.

She pointed out that while she has received numerous orders for green peas, fulfilling them has not been easy, because sourcing the peas is proving to be a difficult task.

“I hope things improve because we got to buy stuff too. But I put God first and whatever comes my way I am satisfied,” Findlay said.

Young vendor Deshawn Sylvain said that considering the fact that he has been recording significantly slow sales, he’s hoping that the situation improves in the coming days.

Sylvain said he noticed that shoppers are more concerned about decorating their households, than they are about buying food at the moment.

“It is way slower than last year and the year before, around this same time,” he stressed.

Sylvain also indicated that the COVID-19 pandemic, and heavy rainfall that washed away produce from farms, have contributed to vendors having to increase their costs.

He explained that while farmers were selling a 25-pound box of tomatoes at $100 just three weeks ago, that price has now changed to between $135 to $150 for the same quantity.

“So when we as vendors have to sell it back to the customers we have to sell it for more. But, sales can only go up from here,” Sylvain said.

The vendors, some of whom will be moving into the proposed state-of-the-art new Fairchild Street Market, when it is completed, explained that traditionally they are accustomed to raking in over $1,000 the week before Christmas, but this year they will be lucky to even make $300.

Nigel Mayers said that while “things dead for now, things will pick up probably on Wednesday”.

“At least I hope so because I ain’t counting the eggs before the chickens hatch. But for right now it slow. I was looking for this here though, and that is why I ain’t buy no stock,” Mayers said.

Penelope Perry who also lamented that sales have been slow, indicated that she noticed an improvement today.

Perry said that while 2020 has been a difficult year thus far for the majority of Barbadians, she would not complain about sales, but would spend the time being grateful for her earnings, even though little at this time.

“People starting to buy vegetables and their sweet potatoes for the sweet potato pie because that is what we working with,” Perry said.

(anestahenry@barbadostoday.bb)