Steady buzz for Skymall biz in gear-up for Old Year’s Night

Skymall traders were banking on a last-minute rush Wednesday as Barbadians splash out on fresh haircuts, makeup and outfits for Old Year’s Night parties, following strong Christmas sales.

At Elite Barbershop, Christmas Eve brought heavy demand, with barber Shad McCollin reporting that “about 90+ customers” passed through the shop that day. The morning, however, started quietly, with only a couple of clients early on. Still, the shop – positioned close to the food court – is primed for increased walk-ins as the day progresses, and men, young and old, were already awaiting their fresh cuts for the evening.

In the beauty section, advance planning has already paid off. At Chanilo Beauty Salon, which offers hair styling, braiding and nail painting, Leah Catlyn said the salon had “already had six people already for Old Year’s”, explaining that bookings start “as early as October” for Christmas into the New Year – proving the importance of personal grooming ahead of scheduled festivities.

At Kiss ‘N’ Makeup, activity over the Christmas period set a positive tone for the store. Makeup artist Dari Smith said sales were “really good this year for Christmas”, noting “a lot of traction, a lot of sales”, particularly for popular items like “Stanley cups and lip glosses”. While foot traffic for Old Year’s Day has been slower so far, there is confidence that momentum will build. “Probably it’ll pick up later this evening… because everybody’s going to a party, everybody wants to look nice,” he added.

For boutique owners, Christmas proved slightly stronger than the days leading into Old Year’s, but optimism remains. At Bedazzle Boutique, owner Susan Mapp said the Christmas season “wasn’t too bad… overall it’s been good”, though Old Year’s Day had started off “quiet”. She described the year as “kind of equivalent” to last year, adding that she was waiting to see how the day would end as shoppers made last-minute decisions.

At FAB-U-LUS Boutique, supervisor Sandra Pilgrim said Christmas sales “pick up fairly late in the season, but it wasn’t too bad”. She acknowledged that sales were slower so far, explaining that “the sales picking up less again”, but added she was hopeful “that we get much more sales” as the day unfolds and shoppers make last-minute purchases.

Stores were also benefiting from promotions aimed at attracting shoppers preparing outfits for New Year’s celebrations. At Payless, assistant store leader Carlos Smith described the season as “busy and sometimes slow” but said close to “100 people so far” had already come in and out of the store. With deals such as “buy one, get one at 50 per cent” and “buy two, get one free” storewide, along with sale items priced as low as $29, shoppers are being encouraged to refresh wardrobes ahead of Old Year’s Night parties and gatherings.