Local Vendors Impacted by More Online and Shopping Abroad Options

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NASSAU , BAHAMAS – The back-to-school shopping frenzy has started, as parents look to get their kids ready for the new year.

It’s also a time many retailers look forward to with the projected sales. But for many vendors at the R.M. Bailey Park site, business is not what it used to be.

Chinasa Outten tells us more.

Rhoda Mortimer – Vendor
“Oh, out here used to be packed with people, but now it’s like we have to wait for the last minute.”

Known as a busy spot for school shopping, R.M. Bailey Park is normally buzzing with vendors and shoppers looking for back-to-school bargains.

But as this vendor puts it, these days the crowds aren’t what they used to be.

Rhoda Mortimer is a 34-year veteran.

Rhoda Mortimer – Vendor
“I started out here selling from the back trunk of my car. And I used to come from my shop on Bay Street, and you make two, three thousand dollars in two days. But you won’t see that in a month.”

They believe a shift in shopping habits may be to blame for sluggish sales.

The once-busy field of vendors may be the latest victim of increasingly popular online shopping, compounded by the increasingly popular shopping abroad.

But Christine Turnquest isn’t letting the slow start dampen her spirits.

Christine Turnquest – Vendor
“When they can’t find this, because you’re not gonna go away for one panty, you’re not gonna go away for a pair of socks.”

Christine Turnquest – Vendor
“They know R.M. Bailey Park is open, so they will be rushing to come out here just to find a sock, to find a panty, find an undershirt, find bows for the hair.”

Turnquest believes the real back-to-school rush has yet to begin.

Christine Turnquest – Vendor
“This is like, if you’re not rushing, you ain’t feeling good about what you’re buying. You understand me? And so the excitement is not there as yet for the back to school.”

With back-to-school in full swing, vendors are saying that sales have dropped tremendously over the years, urging the Bahamian public to shop more at home rather than abroad for their school supplies during this back-to-school season.