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.
[caption id="attachment_907694" align="alignnone" width="1024"] UA Investment Store at Frederick Street, Port of Spain was filled with shoppers on Monday as the retail shopping resumed. Photo by Sureash Cholai[/caption]
“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.”
[caption id="attachment_907695" align="alignnone" width="1024"] A long line outside Maraj and Sons jewellery story at the corner of Duke and Frederick Streets in Port of Spain on Monday. Photo by Sureash Cholai[/caption]
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 b
