There was a mad rush yesterday as parents converged on Bridgetown to buy last-minute supplies ahead of this week’s start of the new school year.
Some stores were packed as customers looked for uniforms, bags, books and other items.
One frustrated mother told her daughter: “Hurry up and choose a bag or let me choose one for you, because Monday is school and you going through them school gates.”
At Cave Shepherd, floor manager Anderson Forde said the summer season had been successful for the store. He said people were taking advantage of their one-stop-shop back-to-school concept and charitable organizations had given out vouchers to the less fortunate.
“People like that they can come and purchase everything in one area and then they also like that they can use their Cave Shepherd card,” Forde said.
At Brydens, supervisor John Holder said that since Monday, shoppers had been rushing to purchase textbooks especially.
“It is very busy because people are shopping for those text and exercise books. In fact, we brought in temporary staff to help out,” said Holder.
The scene was the same at Woolworth as customers crowded both of the store’s floors to secure school bags, water bottles, pens, pencils and rulers.
“As soon as we opened those doors, front and back, people have been coming in,” managing director Martin Bryan reported.
And since well-groomed hair completes a fresh start, visiting a barber shop with their sons was also on most mothers’ list. Line & Length Barber Shop in Satjay Bridgetown Centre on Victoria Street had a long line of boys waiting to get haircuts.
Supervisor Ronald Price said the barbers were busy from Friday. He was therefore not surprised when he turned up for work yesterday morning and saw a long line of customers waiting to be serviced.
“It is really hectic but we’re handling the people as you can see,” Price said.
Some customers reported that back-to-school shopping was not an easy task in the current economic climate. Some started their shopping from early, while others took loans or shopped on credit.
One shopper, who requested anonymity, said it was “very difficult buying your children school things, especially if you don’t have a partner to support you in the process.
“I have to be doing things in pieces,”?she added. “Look, I come for one more shirt, just one shirt and I have three children to buy for. So I start shopping from June and I would tell single mothers out there to try their best and start shopping from June.”
Juliette Clarke, who was shopping for three children at Cave Shepherd, said she started saving money from last year because “I know a new school year coming and the children got to look nice”.
Corey Corbin, a father who was shopping for four children between ages eight and 17, said that while his buying was almost completed, he observed that prices were “a little high for some things but the children have to get the things for school so you have to buy them”.