Hundreds of shoppers are flooding the streets of Bridgetown, making last-minute rounds to prepare for Christmas.
Barbadians were shopping down to the wire to get gifts and other items to make the festive season as special as it can be.
During a visit to The City on Friday night, it was evident that shoppers were taking full advantage of extended business hours.
They were spotted buying books, perfumes, baking pans, toys, pretty decorations and Pandora bracelet charms.
In spite of the current economic recession, Barbadians were seen leaving stores with four and five bags, but some patrons said they were sticking strictly to their shopping lists.
Cherieleen Worrell, who was shopping for perfume in Colombian Emeralds, said she and her friends were cutting back on gifts and concentrating more on buying food and household items.
The Springer sisters, who were also looking at clothing in that store, agreed with Worrell, adding that the increase in taxes was affecting the customer’s buying power.
“Nobody is buying gifts like they did before. The NSRL [National Social Responsibility Levy] has people in trouble so they are only getting a few things to spruce up the house,” the elder of the sisters said.
In Bridgetown yesterday, people were buying paint, bed linen, curtains and other household items, as well as clothes to wear to church on Christmas Day and to Queen’s Park.
Angela Norville, who was looking for a formal shirt for her nephew Khristian Taylor, said the people in her circles were cutting back on spending and used what they had stored at home to decorate the house.
“Normally, you would go out and buy new clothes or new household items like curtains and rugs, but people are using what they already have at home. I find that people are not buying new furniture like one time either. I think they are realising that it makes sense to spend within their means,” said Norville. (SB)
