Christmas shopping gets off to slow but spirited start

WITH Christmas just 17 days away, the holiday season is truly upon us; and early shoppers can be seen crowding the streets, haggling with vendors and filing in and out of convenience stores in a bid to get the best bargains for the festive season.

The Guyana Chronicle caught up with some of those shoppers on Regent Street late yesterday to find out how the holiday preparations were coming along.

“Christmas shopping isn’t coming so good for me, since I have been subjected to salary deductions,” said Samantha Abrams, who hails from Mahaicony, on the East Coast Demerara. She is however confident that “…things are going to pick up in due course…”

“I find Christmas shopping very exciting, but also very expensive. A lot of people are out shopping, but it is probably being funded by their relatives overseas,” said Richard, a young father from East Ruimveldt, here in the city, out doing a bit of early shopping with his son on Regent Street.

“Jesus is the reason for the season!” Denise told the Guyana Chronicle as she busied herself getting an early start on her pepper-pot at a local butcher’s at the Bourda Market.

“I expect that around the 15th, we will see most of the Christmas shoppers. There is no increase as yet in sales, but I expect Christmas this year to be bright and nice as usual. We just need to keep the city clean,” said Mahendra, one of several butchers at Robin’s Halaal Meat Centre in Bourda Market.

Talliah Morgan, a nurse at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), had this to say: “I’m just picking up a few small items to beautify the house. Payday is still not here as yet, but I’m hoping that we will be granted a 25% increase.”

“For me, the Christmas excitement has not started as yet, so I haven’t done any Christmas shopping; I am a last-minute person. Nonetheless, I started my house cleaning already,” said Camille Alleyne of Sisters Village, West Bank Demerara.

“I have not been doing much shopping; I am that kind of person who buys what I NEED, and I prefer quality over quantity,” said Jennifer Watts, who hails from the East Bank Demerara.

“I am purchasing these curtains for my daughter, as I am the more experienced shopper between us,” said Jennifer Joseph. “I do not celebrate Christmas;I usually fast for the holidays with my husband as part of our religion.”