It is Christmas Eve and tonight downtown Belize City is throbbing with commercial activity. Most stores are still open and will remain that way until as late as 10 o'clock - or later if that's what last minute shoppers want. And, truth is, the stores need those last minute dollars because they are at the end of what has been a far from spectacular year. The 7NEWS team did the rounds at some of the city's major stores today and found out why some were seeing green this Christmas and others weren't.
Keith Swift Reporting,
There was a throng of shoppers inside most stores today - but the crowds might be misleading because storeowners say the year hasn't been merry.
Keith Swift,
Have the sales been what you expected?
Tomasita Urbina, A&R Store
"Not really and our prices are good because we are direct importers so we don't have an in-between person so if you look at our prices, I don't think anyone can compare our prices so it is not price wise - it is just that I don't know. I don't know really."
It is Christmas Eve and this is the toy aisle here in A & R store. Usually you wouldn't have beenaa ble to walk in this aisle but today its almost empty. And normally these shelves on Christmas Eve would be scanty. Today they are full to overflowing. And A&R's Tomasita Urbina says that's probably because her customers simply don't have the money.
Tomasita Urbina,
"I think because of the prices of everything going up, everything, I think you have to stick to the basics, you have to survive so food is the first thing. The toys and those things are luxury and you don't have to have that."
Naim El Amin who owns CDE Plus says his customers have also had to make hard choices because of harder times - and that coupled with two free zone days - retarded his sales.
Naim El-Amin, CD Plus
"This year we already anticipated the Christmas shopping wouldn't have been good as last year. One because of the less income of the people and
also that free zone thing messed up a lot. A lot of the customers who buy stuff which we sell - like electronics went to the Free Zone itself. The Christmas has been not as good as expected as other stores. What we had to do this year is discount a lot of products because people had less cash to spend. So a lot of the products we sell at cost price just to get it off the shelf. Other products we make a small profit."
Keith Swift,
What are people buying?
Naim El-Amin,
"What I am hearing is that they have a specific amount of money they are looking to spend to buy all their gifts and so every discount we make - a customer would stay here for 15 minutes asking us for $5 off something which costs a $100 because they to get all the gift items but they just have a certain amount of money to spend."
But there were no complaints from Venus Store and Courts Belize. The owners of both stores say the sale of electronic items like mp3 players caused a sale surge.
Leopold Silva, Venus Store
"We are lucky with the mp3s and mp4s, that seems to be a very hot item this year and we had a good amount of that. That really helped our sales. Sales are definitely up. People are buying a lot of electronics and actually I don't have anymore mp4s so it's been very good. They are buying a lot of things that we sell that are a little cheaper than normal so maybe but we are still selling good."
Keith Slater, Courts Belize
"We've had a very busy three to four weeks. We'd be kidding
ourselves if we said it's been a great year. It's not been a great year for anybody I don't think. It's been tough year but there have been worst years. And I think people are little more cautious about how they spend available cash. I think people were waiting a while longer this year."
General Manager of Brodies Supermarket on Albert Street Sherman Sawyers says it was a good year for the country's largest supermarket chain.
Sherman Sawyers, Brodies
"I would say it's similar. We are not doing bad. Its pretty good and we are expecting it will better than last year."
CD Plus, and Venus Store will be open until 9 pm tonight while Brodies will be opened until ten. The stores will reopen on Thursday and all say there will be after Christmas sales. And while you have heard from the businessmen and women, later on, Keith Swift will take you to downtown Belize City again and this time you will hear from the consumers.
