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Preparations complete, as traders eye a “good season”
It’s only early December but the large malls in Colombo have put up their decorations and are playing festive music in anticipation of a hectic shopping season.
Retailers of electronic goods and mobile phones are among the heaviest advertisers this year and some of the bigger home appliance companies have already held stock clearance sales, slashing prices on some items by as much as 50 per cent. But in most other sectors, the “sale” signs are yet to come up.
Also advertising widely are supermarkets. Among the goods they are offering at cut prices is food, including rice and vegetables grown in Sri Lanka.
Not as grand, but equally eager are traders in the Pettah, who also started displaying seasonal merchandise last week.
All the big and small businesses, however are waiting with baited breath—we expect good sales closer to Christmas, they say.
In First Cross Street, Abdul Cader Mohammed, 38, was supervising sales at a large stall that exclusively sold Christmas decorations. “The busiest few days come after December 18, that’s when we expect our sales to go up,” he said.
“Currently we are just stocking samples,” said Mohammed Usman, a 35-year-old trader who deals in both retail and wholesale. “These days we only have a few retail customers who buy the odd item. We also have people coming to inspect our merchandise. They will return later to make the orders,” he said confidently.
Usman added that most shop owners will release seasonal goods in much larger quantities after December 10.
Meanwhile, to lure shoppers, a few retail and wholesale shops are exhibiting varied amounts of decorations.
Some are taking the conventional path by displaying multi-coloured tinsels and baubles, fairy lights, Santa Claus figurines, velvet bows and wreaths. While others, like a roadside vendor in Colombo Fort, are selling teddy bears wearing festive hats and a stuffed Santa Claus.
A woman with two children by her side, quoted the price of the teddy bears at Rs. 450 apiece, but I am open to bargaining, she was quick to add.
Stalls selling greetings cards and fireworks, a common sight in the Christmas season, are yet to spring up. Pavements in shopping areas, on the other hand, are beginning to fill. Pavement hawking is usually prohibited in the city but the police are more tolerant in view of the season, said a merchant.
The old business hub of the city, the Pettah, is usually awash with goods from China, and this time it is no different. “China” said merchant after merchant, when asked about the country in which the goods were made. Gifts, such as toys, are also manufactured and imported from China, said a retailer.
Meanwhile, some vendors claimed that compared to last season prices of goods were higher this year. The importers billed us more, they say the import duty has gone up,” said Abdul Cader.
The retailers were hopeful of a good year but also feel for the consumers. “I feel it will be a good season but prices have also gone up,” said Subramaniam Romesh, 24, a Main Street retailer. “With the increased cost of living, the shoppers find it hard to spend on decorations and gifts. We can’t control price increases,” he added.
Robert Lazarus, a Catholic three-wheeler driver, voiced similar sentiments. “What Christmas!” the 37-year-old glowered. “I just went to the market to buy provisions. One hundred grams of dry fish costs Rs. 173. Everything is so expensive. It’s a very hard life now,” he added.
On the other hand, there are also people like Desmond Joseph, a Catholic employee of a private company. “Of course times are hard for people. But we will still spend generously on Christmas,” he said. We have already cleaned up our house and plan to do more shopping this year despite the increased prices,” said 40-year-old Joseph while inspecting decorations at the People’s Park shopping complex in the Pettah.
For those looking for low-priced items, Abubakar Shekhali, 52, claimed that the artificial Christmas trees he was selling on a pavement were cheaper this season. They range from Rs. 850 to Rs. 4,000 and I plan to sell at least 20-25 in the peak shopping days, he said in anticipation.
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