EDITORIAL

It has been just about a year since the Shop Acts was amended, but not many businesses it seems are taking full advantage of its provisions and we believe this is to their detriment and indeed the country’s. That Act provides for among other things, extended opening hours of shops and while some establishments have been taking the opportunity to open outside of regular business hours and have been reaping benefits, others are suggesting that opening extra hours is not cost effective as business is slow.

 

The latter was definitely the cry of some who opened their doors in the City on the two bank holidays this week hoping to capitalise on the thousands of visitors expected on the island, by way of several cruise ships docking in the Bridgetown Port. While a few stores did open their doors, most remained closed and to expecting tourists, Bridgetown perhaps appeared more like a ghost town than a capital city. This is not a good image for us to portray to those on whom we depend for our bread and butter. Cruise is a big business and if we continue to portray Barbados and its capital city in a bad light to those intent on cruising the Caribbean, we could one day find ourselves in a position where Barbados is no longer a port of call to some of these cruise lines. And what a sad day that would be.

 

Perhaps, had more of the stores in the City opened and not just a handful, tourists would have felt more inclined to browse and shop. Admittedly though, city stores have long been complaining that the tourists are not spending with them as they would like, and perhaps greater efforts have to be made by organisations such as the Barbados Chamber of Commerce and Industry, to market the stores collectively and promote Historic Bridgetown as a place deserving of them spending their money and indeed this is a task that should also be embraced by Government.

 

Bridgetown is our major financial hub and needs to look and feel it, and not appear on public holidays and after hours, as some abandoned town. We also need night life in the City for when cruise ships are homeporting, and in general to attract more persons and activities to the City.

 

Now while it is important to let tourists know that the stores are open, it is equally important to relay that information to Barbadians. Part of the problem we believe why business was slow for some this week is frankly that people did not know they were open. It would be unwise to make plans to open and not properly inform the potential customers. Given too that we are becoming very Americanised, it is surprising that as we have grabbed hold of the ‘Black Friday’ and ‘Cyber Monday’ concepts, more businesses have not taken the opportunity to open on Boxing Day and offer sales to get Barbadians out to spend even more money.

 

Remember, the only public holidays shops are mandated to close now are Good Friday, Easter Sunday, Independence Day and Christmas Day. We therefore have no doubt that if they had been well informed of stores being open, as many took the trek to town on Christmas Eve seeking that last-minute deal, they would have come out on Boxing Day too.

 

Additionally, the days of stores only opening late during the Christmas Season needs to become a thing of the past. The potential lies for that much needed paradigm shift to take place as it relates to the way businesses operate in this country, getting out of the habit of opening 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The legislative framework is there to some extent, what is needed now is a change in mindset of our people.