Vendors say it was not a good year this Christmas
Beckford Street looking like a department store as vendors display their goods all around.
A number of street vendors in downtown Kingston and Half-Way-Tree in St Andrew said yesterday that it was “not a good year” for them this Christmas.
The vendors, who were out in numbers trying to cash in on Christmas yesterday, told the Jamaica Observer that this year there were more sellers than buyers. One vendor, who identified himself as a Flex, said last year was better because people had more money to shop.
Bailey, a clothes vendor from downtown Kingston, said that sales were slow and it was not like last year.
It was a little better for Shaneka, who sells on Beckford Street in downtown Kingston. She said this year’s sale was good but last year was better.
However, the vendors, all of whom declined to give full names, said they were thankful for sales they have made. “I am just giving God thanks,” said Merl, another downtown Kingston vendor.
At the same time, some blamed Chinese merchants who carry much cheaper goods for the drop in business.
“Chiny mash we up,” said Sash, a vendor in Half-Way-Tree, the St Andrew capital. “The Chinese are selling the fake shoes and clothes,” she added.
“The vendors that go overseas for the real things lose because the Chinese are selling the fake ones for less money,” she continued.
Sash said that people do not care about what is fake or real because they all look alike and many do not know the difference. She added that people buy the less expensive things such as shoes and clothing.
Alvin, a vendor in Half-Way-Tree for more than 10 years, said that the Christmas sale was not bad for him. “I got more goods this Christmas,” he said. “More people came and buy this time because I had the goods,” he added.
I agree with Merl’s statement ” I am just giving God thanks”. The fact that we live to see another Christmas, and that we are alive and well, then all we should do is remember the CHRIST in Christmas, and praise God.
Well said :2thumbup :2thumbup
Di sed chiney shop weh unnuh buy di things a di sed shop ppl go buy di things….mi a look fi buy a likkle dress and di woman a come tell me $7,000 fi di chiney mek goods….unnuh want fi mek a money yes, ppl hav dem money but nobody never did a go buy fi dem price deh!
1 pound a garlic powder- $650
1 pound a gungo – $300
1 pound a onion – $300
1 pound scallions and thyme – $350
Vendors dem feel seh because ppl get di likkle bonus dem can charge a bag a money. And ppl show dem seh dem nah dead if dem nuh buy, most ppl market bag did scanty Saturday wen I go town, cause dem never did a go buy fi dem price deh!
All if dem price did likkle more than the chiney ppl woulda buy di things dem, but not double weh di chiney a sell di suptn fah!
Could not have said it any better. Every year dem blame Chinese
I’ve come across way too many Jamaican business owners (big and small) who seem like they know absolutely nothing about basic business principles such as knowing the importance of having competitive pricing. A lot of them lose out on potential customers because their greed out weighs their common sense when it comes to pricing their products. Jamaica is a third world country which is very impoverished, so cheaper prices will always be in high demand. If they can’t afford the authentic, then either find a way to sell it for cheaper or get into the counterfeit brands like the Chinese but never malign someone for going the route that gives them more for their dollar.
These vendor must realize that everyone is not rich in J.A. I get confuse too with these people post up on IG/FB like life is easy in JA. The vendor products are fake too so why are they bashing the Chinese.