Some village shopkeepers on Wednesday appealed to Prime Minister Mia Mottley to shelve Government’s plans to shut shops for the next two weeks as part of a fresh assault to contain the spread of the coronavirus across communities.
Those who spoke to Barbados TODAY insisted that during the first lockdown last March, when village shops were allowed to function, there was no harm done and that’s not about to change.
Sophia Licorish of E&S Variety said business has been trying in recent months and a shutdown would be crippling.
“To have my little small business now closed, it would really, really affect me because we all need some finances and in order to have the finances, we need to have products being sold, and if my products aren’t being sold I don’t stand anywhere,” she said.
Sophia Licorish
Marie Allman, the operator of Willmar’s Bar at the corner of Rihanna Drive, said the temporary closure of her small shop which sells food and beverages is bad news.
“I will not be able to work, and I don’t have any income coming from anywhere else,” she declared.
Marie Allman
Over at Harewood Road, St Michael, shopkeeper Clinton Jones of Ocita’s Variety & Bar said not only would he feel the economic pinch but the community would be hurt by the lockdown.
He told Barbados TODAY: “This is really our bread and butter. We try to keep as much stock as possible that we can help to support the community. Everybody can’t shop for two weeks one time. There are a lot of people that do community shopping.”
Jones said that he often has to offer credit to customers who need it.
Another shopkeeper, who opted not to disclose his name, said the move made little sense especially if Government’s intention was to stop large numbers from gathering at supermarkets.
He said: “If you want to get away from clusters, I don’t see what is the sense of you shutting the small shops and opening the supermarkets for people to go and bundle in the supermarket?.
“I know the last shut down worked very well for the small shops and the small shops got a chance then to get a little income because when things go back to normal you don’t see these people again.”
The small-scale merchants who are all bracing for the hit to their bottom line proposed that Government should instead give thought to allowing them to open for reduced hours.
“Let the small shops open at 8 a.m. and shut at 2 p.m.,” one shop owner suggested.
Give them at least three days, not shut totally. I hope it can be re-adjusted, give everybody a piece of the pie.”
Licorish, Alman and Jones agreed, suggesting that at least four hours of business would allow them to hold their own and meet the needs of their customers.
Said Alman: “I would like to see village shops being opened from at least around 7:30 a.m to 1 p.m. I would like that.”
The shopkeepers, who were all wearing masks and provided hand sanitisers before their interviews, insisted that they have been following the protocols – asking customers to wear their masks, sanitize and even have their temperatures taken.
They said most customers complied but the few who refused were denied service.
“Sometimes you might find one or two – but we always encourage them to wear their masks,” Jones said while Licorish whose shop’s sign says “place your mask on your face” noted that she ensures that “everything is in place to keep people safe in the community”. (sandydeane@barbadostoday.bb)
