Port of Spain malls closed, merchants sell outside
Downtown Owners and Merchants Association president Gregory Aboud
At least one Port of Spain mall was closed down by police on Friday, a day after new and tighter restrictions were implemented by the Prime Minister on Thursday.
The mall – Bradford City Mall – was the last of several walk-through malls and plazas that closed their gates in the capital, leaving business owners in the malls to stop business completely or sell their goods on the street.
John Saba, store manager at Bradford Mall, told Newsday the store partitioned itself off from the rest of the mall, but police still said it was in breach of the regulations.
A feast of theatre
Markets
Shongweni Farmers and Craft Market: (today) Open from 6.30am to 12.30pm with full Covid-19 protocols. Fresh produce, crafts, ready made foods, decor items, furniture, pet products, outdoor goods, nursery and jewellery, a nature trail and great view points to relax. Call 031 777 4686.
Musgrave Market: (today) Under the trees at Berea Park for good food, good music and stalls selling arts and crafts, clothing, accessories, confectionery, baked goods, books, toys, plants, good quality second hand items and more. From 9am to 2pm.
Durban Vintage Market: (today) Fun and quirky vintage clothing and decor incorporating the Side Hustle Market at the Dolos, 5 Southampton Row, Point. 10am to 3pm.
Industrial real estate broker Dunwell has secured the relocation of Boutique Mall in a new warehouse of 3.700 sqm within CTPark Bucharest North.
Boutique Mall, one of the largest online retailers of casual and luxury footwear and clothing in Romania, relocates its logistics from downtown to North Bucharest, in an A class warehouse, developed by CTP, the transaction being brokered by Dunwell Industrial.
CTPark Bucharest North is an industrial park that CTP has developed in Stefanesti at the end of last year. Strategically located on the 4 lanes ringroad, the park offers personalized solutions for several types of companies, from industries such as e-commerce, production, automotive or controlled temeperature spaces. CTPark Bucharest North will have a total operational area of 116.000 sqm out of which the first 21.000 sqm have already been delivered within the project’s first phase. CTP will finalise all constructions by the end of 2021.
IF you decide to visit Port of Spain today, be prepared for long lines and traffic through the streets.
This was what downtown looked like yesterday when the Express visited businesses to better understand Christmas shopping during a pandemic.
Despite thousands of people walking through the capital city, many business owners said sales were significantly different from previous years.
Speaking with the Express by phone, president of the Downtown Owners and Merchants Association (DOMA) Gregory Aboud said: âWhile we cannot characterise Christmas 2020 for any record-breaking sales figures, we can say that there are encouraging signs of a recovery, and that many of the downtown businesses will be assisted by the business that has been done during December in helping them to offset many of the expenses and losses experienced during the period April to August 2020.â