Port of Spain bustles as retail stores open

Clothes, shoes and appliances were the main items of interest among shoppers in Port of Spain on Monday as retail stores reopened.

The city was bustling and there was a lot of vehicular and pedestrian traffic.

Many stores had a trickle of customers throughout the day, with heavier foot traffic during the lunch hour.

At the IAM outlet on Frederick Street, the cashier said business was not up to its full capacity but there had been a good flow of customers.

UA Investments, at the corner of Frederick and Hart Streets, was full of people taking advantage of the sale on items. The store’s manager said it felt good to be back at work.

“It’s a normal day for us in terms of sales and the number of people. We expect it to get busier as people come to buy things for school.”

Miguel Moses’ manager said while it felt good to be back out after being home for so long, it didn’t feel different.

“I’m glad to see workers out. We were just getting really tired of being home. And with less funds and just running on barely gas, it’s good to be back out. We’re following the protocols, and we’re not being pressured about taking the vaccine. We’ve gradually seen the number of customers increase. People were waiting and calling to find out when we would open.

“There are customers who would get things from us who weren’t able to get them because we were closed. We provide a wide variety of stuff to schools, officers with their uniforms, and ministries, so it’s good to be back out. People who sell masks are coming in to replenish their stocks, those who have small businesses that use fabric, jerseys for printers who have their own businesses, and others.”

The owners of Classy Fabrics said they didn’t expect a rush, as people have been out of work for four months.

“Most of them had not received a salary relief grant, and even before that it was very difficult. With the increase in prices in every sector, groceries, pharmacies, etc., people have less disposable income, so we’re not expecting a rush. There will be a long period before things will look how they were before. People have debts to pay off, rent, mortgage, they have to pay basic bills before they shop for anything.”

At Shoeaholics, the cashiers said they were glad to be back out to work even though they were a bit scared with the virus still circulating.

“You want to work because you’ve been home so long and you want to get paid. We’ve had a trickle of customers, but the same way we’re now going out to work, a lot of people are now going out to work. So, quite rightly, there wouldn’t be a lot of people yet.

“We have been seeing people who need to replace shoes they had worn out over time so we find those are the ones that are coming in now.”

Wonderful World’s manager said there were customers waiting at the door when the store opened. She said there had been a steady flow of customers, which she thought would continue. The cashiers said people were mostly buying undergarments, as well as items they might have been craving while at home.

At Micles, the manager said most people were shopping for shoes and birthday gifts.

At electronics store Tech Access, Brandon said the workers were glad to be back out, as it had been almost impossible to pay bills and look after their families with the lack of income.

“People were struggling. For many people it’s difficult to save because all of their salary goes directly into living expenses and a lot of people were in the same situation as us, so many people don’t have the money to be spending on electronics and stuff.”

He said people were buying items like tablets and accessories such as keyboards, webcams, speakers, microphones, and replacement headphones, mostly related to online school.

Lines were seen outside of Courts, Standards, and Payless shoe store, as these stores were only admitting a certain amount of people at a time.

There were also long lines at pawn shops and jewellery stores. The security manager at Y De Lima and Co said people were visiting the jewellery store and the pawn shop.

“In the pawn shop area, a lot of people are coming to take their jewellery out as well as people pawning, and it’s been flowing.

We’ve had a crowd this morning, people coming and retrieving their previously-pawned jewellery, some of them came rushing to take it out because of the length of time the store had been closed, and also they’re getting a reprieve on the length of time that the store had been closed.

“Sales are starting to pick up as well. Women are buying earrings and the men are buying rings, but the pawn shop is where the money is turning over.

Different stores were following variations of the health protocols. All required a mask upon entry and the sanitising of hands using either sanitiser or soap and water. Not all stores used temperature monitors. Some stores let all customers in, while others controlled their numbers.