Very slow, dead and okay was how street sellers and store clerks described Boxing Day sales in the capital city.
Although Port-of-Spain remained virtually deserted yesterday, some people ventured out of their homes to take advantage of the specials offered at the Frederick Street outlets of Detour and Trendy Kids, as well as the street vendors who complained of a slow day overall.
Although the manager at Detour declined to speak with the media and directed all questions to the head office, employees said there had been a slow trickle of customers since the store opened at 8.30 am.
Unsure of when they would have closed yesterday, the workers said there were special discounts being offered on selected items.
At the electronics counter, there was a handful of shoppers—some of who admitted they only wanted to “see” what was on sale.
Over at Trendy Kids, an official said the Boxing Day sale offered a 20 per cent discount on clothing and toys.
Pressed to say how sales had fared, the woman said, “Okay.”
She added that it had been a “quiet Christmas” season.
Indicating that yesterday’s offerings were normal, the manager said they opened from as early as 9 am and had experienced a steady stream of customers who usually came hunting for bargains.
While many of the street vendors expressed disappointment over the slow sales, one man said he had been hoping for some “momentum” after the Christmas rush.
He said, “Back in the day, many persons would get their back-pay and come to shop. However, that is just not happening anymore. Now we can’t even get foreign exchange. There is no injection of funds to keep the economy going, everybody has to fend for themselves.”
It was a similar sentiment from the couple set up next to him, who added, “The place just dead. There was no effort to brighten up the capital and make it more attractive to shoppers.”
Asked why they thought sales might have been slow, one of the owners offered, “It might be the economy and the recession, people probably trying to save money.”