The music may have been sweet at Soca Royale at Bushy Park on Sunday, but vendors weren’t getting the same sensation during the early hours.
They were hoping that a late sales surge would make up for a slow start during the pre-show segment.
Tanya Thompson, who ran the Wukuptology stall with her boyfriend Shawn Gilkes, was one of them. She told the DAILY NATION: “Sales are slow but since the Sweet Soca competition started they began to pick up and hopefully continue as the evening progresses.”
Thompson, who has sold at the venue for the past two years, said the trend was that sales usually picked up in the night since fans arrived “late” for the Party Monarch – the evening event.She was “hoping for the best”, although she said that sales would likely be hurt by the state of economy and people bringing their foods and drinks.
“People usually come out with their picnic baskets and because of the economy they not partying as much,”?she said. “I see people now coming to events and bringing their own food.”
O’Hara Harris agreed that sales were slow but she, too, hoped they would pick up.
She would prefer if Soca Royale was moved back to its former home on the East Coast Road.
“I think if people weren’t bringing in stuff we would do well because when I was at East Coast around this kind of time in the late evening, business would be good and I don’t think up here is the place for this event,” she said.
Adrian Downes of Friends is no stranger to the business after selling at East Coast and Bushy Park combined for about ten years.
“It’s usually the young people who come and buy,”?he said. “They don’t want to walk with the load and I see the older folks walking with their picnic basket.”
Downes said the crowd looked better than last year “so sales should also pick up”.
H said that he preferred the Bushy Park venue “because it’s a nice spot with better security and good parking”.
Donna Greene of Donna’s Kitchen said business was “very bad”.
Greene, who has been selling at the event for the past three years, said:?“Last year was slow too but it’s probably because people are allowed to bring in their own coolers with drinks and food which is disadvantaging me.
“I’m really not sure if business would pick up as the evening progresses to be honest, but it may deter me from coming back again.”
