The ups and the downs

By Gibron Rahim

THE Christmas season brings with it the hustle and bustle of shopping. Perhaps nowhere in Guyana is that more evident than on Regent Street at the height of the season. Every year, street vendors come out in their numbers to take advantage of the sales to be made in the days leading up to Christmas.These vendors continue to persevere despite the challenges they face.

The Pepperpot Magazine visited Regent Street to speak with some of the vendors and observe the ebb and flow of shoppers. Anyone who is familiar with Regent Street will be aware that it is usually crowded with shoppers who flock the stores and fill the pavements as they seek out their quarries among the many stores that occupy its length. It was a sunny afternoon on the pavement of Regent and Wellington Streets. From there it was a steady walk in the direction of Vlissengen Road.

The goods on sale along the pavement varied. Available for purchase were clothing, footwear, Christmas decorations, toys, utensils, just to name a few. Their assortment created a rich mix of colours reflective of the Guyanese Christmas. Also visible were the crowd of early Christmas shoppers, some carrying bags filled with the goods they had purchased. Yet, it was by no means Christmas shopping as usual on Regent Street.

This publication approached several street vendors along Regent Street to try to get a feel for the business atmosphere this Christmas. Quite a few declined while others spoke on condition of anonymity. None agreed to be photographed. One of the first vendors approached was in the process of creating a floral arrangement. The vendor, Pamela Bowen, was initially hesitant to speak. However, she relented and this was fortunate as she expressed many of the concerns facing her and her fellow vendors.

Business along the pavement this Christmas, Bowen said, is not so good for local Guyanese. She asserted that this is due to the presence of bigger businesses operated by foreign nationals, such as the Chinese. She said this makes it difficult for small business owners to earn a living. According to her, these business owners are able to get their goods into the country at little to no cost, without tax being levied. She questioned the quality of these goods being sold, noting that their low prices attract customers. “I’m very upset about it,” she said. “And the government is not doing anything about it.” Those born in Guyana and who have spent all their lives here are having a very difficult time surviving she said.

Growing visibly upset, Bowen questioned how working mothers with families and rent to pay would be able to survive. Then, she noted, members of the City Constabulary periodically come around and levy monetary charges against the vendors to allow them to continue operating. “Some days you don’t make anything much,” Bowen said. Sometimes at the end of the day, the money earned is only enough to buy food, she explained. She said there would be no improvement in the situation unless the government intervenes to protect local small business owners. She said that the President, whom she expressed faith in, should take appropriate measures.

Proceeding along Regent Street, the Pepperpot Magazine observed different approaches to street vending. Some vendors had stalls while others spread plastic on the pavement on which they displayed their goods.

‘FINE PICKINGS’
Upon crossing the street, this publication came across the small stall of Hulda Bovell Nedd. She graciously agreed to take some time to answer some questions. She noted that she and her fellow vendors had just been getting a few “fine pickings” so far. She said that she had been turning out to work after 12:00hrs every day as she is the sole operator of her business.

Bovell Nedd noted that she had been vending over the last 25 years in various locations, with six or seven years spent in her current location. “This is the worst year I’ve ever faced,” she said. Shopping for the Christmas season used to begin in October, according to her. Now the vendors have to rely on the few days of business before the holidays. She explained that to take full advantage of the few days of shopping some vendors overnight at their stalls to receive business from early morning customers. She noted though that she is contented with the business that she had been able to do.

The Pepperpot Magazine spoke to another street vendor selling her goods in the vicinity of M. Phagoo and Sons General Store. The vendor, who declined having her name published, explained that she and her husband used to come out to sell at Christmastime around the same spot she was sitting at. Her brother-in-law has helped her to sell ever since her husband passed away in 2015. Occasionally, as was the case that day, she still comes to sell. She also noted that there had not been much business so far.

As this publication was preparing to make its departure, the clouds began rolling in. The skies darkened and the wind picked up as the vendors rushed to protect their goods from the heavy rain that would follow. At the same time, this was happening, young masqueraders accompanied by drummers could be observed dancing right there on the street. Like street vending, masquerade is a Christmas tradition that has been in decline. Yet, the determination of the masqueraders and the street vendors are indications that all hope is not lost.