Retailers across the island say sales were low over the recent Christmas season compared to previous years. Though stores ramped up sales promotions and offered discounts during the holiday period, inflation and the fact that Christmas Eve (traditionally the day with the highest consumer traffic) fell on a Sunday were cited among the reasons for the poor sales. Anthony Pearson, principal of Lloyd’s Department Store in Montego Bay, St James.
Online shopping is growing locally but the majority of Jamaican consumers still prefer the tactile experiences offered by brick-and-mortar stores, according to retailers.
It’s one of the primary reaso.
RETAIL BUSINESS owners are predicting further losses for their ventures with the Government’s plan to increase duty-free allowance on personal items by 100 per cent, with at least one retailer labelling the move as “retrograde”. Their businesses,.
Jamaican retailers heading into the year’s busiest shopping period are cautiously optimistic that sales will improve over the holiday season despite rising cost of living pressures and other challenge.