Slow Xmas sales in Penal

Businesses in Penal are wishing for a Christmas “miracle” as sales leading up to the holiday have been slow thus far.

When Newsday visited businesses in the area on Wednesday, Moses Trends manager Bolly Gopiesingh said the store’s sales have been slow in the past month.

Gopiesingh told Newsday, “I think business has been very slow because people don’t have money to shop.

“All they doing is buying food because that’s more important. I think it (sales) will pick up closer to Christmas.”

While that pace of business has been disappointing, the work of officers from the Penal Police Station have not.

Gopiesingh praised the station’s officers for doing consistent patrols in the area which makes her feel safe.

Spendwiser worker Sherry Ann Mahabir thinks that the pandemic has continued to affect people’s ability to spend. However, she said this year’s Christmas sales have been worse than 2020.

Mahabir explained, “Things have been very slow because of the pandemic. But last year wasn’t this slow.

“I think things may pick up on Thursday and Friday when it is month end.”

During Newsday’s visit to the store, Mahabir demonstrated how she makes a customised gift basket – comprised of perfumes, watches and accessories – which is one of the store’s hot sellers.

The slow business trend continued at Hannah’s Plaza and K Brazilian Gold and Accessories with both stores also reporting low sales in the past several weeks.

Workers at Debbie’s Furniture Store reported fluctuating sales but were more optimistic about the weeks to come leading up to Christmas.

Nicole Persad Vialva, one of the store’s managers, told Newsday, “There are some days with good sales and some days where there will be no sales at all.

“But I think it will continue getting better even though it is hard (financially) for some people.”

When Newsday spoke to food vendor Shafeck Ally at 11.20am, he said he had only made $60 in sales at that time even though he had been out since 4am.

He lamented, “Things have been real slow in Penal and it’s been so every day. Sometimes my good doesn’t sell out and it does remain.”