Love was in the air. But Valentine’s sales ‘down’

Sales may not have been as plentiful as in previous years, City vendors and merchants said Wednesday, but they expressed gratitude for the customers they did receive as Valentine’s Day fell on Ash Wednesday, the start of the Christian season of Lent.

Despite the traditional period of solemn reflection, The City was festooned in red and white as workers, visitors, and vendors sought treats for loved ones. Around every corner, someone was with a rose, balloon, or plush teddy bear in hand.

Numerous vendors lined Swan Street, offering plush toys, roses, gift sets, and perfumes for sale. At the top of Swan Street, LaDon’s Boutique was a hive of activity, serving as a one-stop shop for love-themed merchandise.

Owner Jocelyn Carrington told Barbados TODAY that sales started slowly and progressed as the day went on, with teens and young adults stopping by to buy some of the gift sets and perfumes on sale.

“I’ve seen better sales, but my day has not been too bad,” she said. “A lot of youngsters are passing by and buying bears, chocolates, roses, and body mists. Sales could be better, but they have been the same as last year.”

A few metres away at Fashion Angel Boutique, Mario Leacock had a similar experience. He surmised that the high cost of living was responsible for people spending less overall.

“Things have been slow compared to last year,” said Leacock. “One time you would see persons spending a lot on these kinds of things like the bears and roses, but because of the economy and whatnot, a lot of them are not spending like before.”

The staff at Blessings Boutique had a brighter day. Deidre Thorne reported “relatively good sales” but rather than love-related merchandise, many customers bought clothing.

Throughout the day, she said, the attention turned to children: “This year, I find that more people are buying for kids. A few people are buying for partners, but compared to last year, we’ve found that a number of people are buying outfits to go out to dinner.”

Thorne, who created a series of Valentine’s arrangements on sale, said that this year, they decided to offer them as an option because people are getting more ingenious in their gift giving.

“Some people are getting creative and making up their own gifts as well, so even though they may purchase the typical roses and bears, they are also buying wines and pillows to go with it, so we wanted to make sure we had that on offer as well,” she told Barbados TODAY.

Department store Woolworths had a steady flow of customers leading up to Valentine’s Day as traditional items like bears, chocolates, and cards have been in demand since last week.

Managing director Martin Bryan said that in the two days leading up to Wednesday, the store was busy, but he was also expecting the traditional last-minute rush, similar to last year.

“Sales this year so far are the same as last year. I haven’t seen much of a major increase, but today we have had an influx of customers getting in their last-minute shopping,” he said.

The store supervisor of La Romana Jewels, Shakira McClean, said that this time around, customers were treated with discounts, and they also ran a competition where customers who spent over $150 got a chance to win $250.

“Every year, we try different things to increase our sales, but this year, things have been slower compared to previous years, and this year I can say we have definitely seen a decrease in sales,” she said.

Department store Bridgetown Duty-Free, formerly Cave Shepherd, was also full of customers as it hosted a wine and chocolate tasting event as well as a “pop the balloon and win” game for customers throughout the day.

In addition to the storewide sales with up to half off select items, the store also ran a “Feel the Love” contest in which six couples received a romantic lunch at the store’s food lounge.

Store manager Stacey Wharton told Barbados TODAY that while sales started slow leading up to the day, they picked up as the day progressed.

“Sales have been comparable to last year. I wouldn’t necessarily say we’ve seen a great improvement, but sales have been building from 9:30 a.m., and I do believe they will continue that way up until 4:30 p.m.,” she said.
(BB)