City shopping picks up

Dozens of Barbadians descended on The City on Thursday hoping to complete purchases in time for Christmas.

Simultaneously, the last-minute rush provided much-needed revenue for small businesses and vendors in the midst of a year of economic uncertainty that accompanied the COVID-19 pandemic.

Snaking lines could be seen along Broad Street that included persons hoping to enter various financial institutions as well as mainstay establishments like Cave Shepherd.

On Swan Street, there was absolutely no room for physical distancing as shoppers hustled from one store to another and patronized vendors, who were offering numerous items ranging from clothes and toys, to natural juices and fresh herbs.

Sisters Nya Jordan and Nekela John, who own ‘It’s a Wrap’ gift-wrapping service, were busy placing the finishing touches on each gift entrusted to them, while assisting their mother with an adjoining cologne stall.

“The first couple weeks of December were a bit slow and sluggish, I guess persons were contemplating how much there were budgeting for this year, but for these last couple days, it has picked up,” Nya told Barbados TODAY.

“I don’t know if the NIS has gotten an influx of money, but people have been shopping like crazy. We have gotten a couple sales and I must say the gift-wrapping service has become more essential now, because persons don’t want these small things to deal with when they get home,” she added.

Mindful of the prevailing COVID-19 environment, she noted that patrons are not permitted to do business with them unless they are masked up, and their hands are sanitized. This, she said has not affected the City’s vibrant atmosphere at all.

“There were still a lot of people walking up and down through Swan Street even until 7 o’clock at night we are still here and persons are still around shopping,” said Jordan.

“We have also seen the COVID-19 Monitoring Unit. They have passed through town to ensure that stores are abiding by the protocols and keeping things in place for customers,” she added.

Kerri Forde, who was selling a variety of natural juices along Swan Street said this year’s season has been “smooth sailing” for his business.

“Christmas has been fantastic and things have also been fantastic throughout the year… I just maintained what I was doing, concentrated on producing quality and distributing it on a consistent basis,” Forde told Barbados TODAY.

“For the most part, people have been wearing their masks, sanitising and doing the things that will keep them on the safe side,” the ambitious vendor added.

Fruit and vegetable vendor M Jackson described this year’s sales as “up and down”, but said he is grateful to have some level of business activity.

“This year is a lot slower, but I attribute that to the COVID…. but people are still coming out in their numbers,” said the vendor for over 30 years.

“We also need to learn to observe the protocols a bit better, because although we don’t have the virus here, we don’t know what is going to happen. Sometimes it only takes one person infected, to infect a lot of people,” he added.

As the sun set on this year’s Christmas Eve in the city, scores of shoppers with bags in hand headed to numerous carparks, bus terminals and taxi stands to prepare to welcome Christmas 2020.
(kareemsmith@barbadostoday.bb)