The Tribune

By YOURI KEMP

Tribune Business Reporter

ykemp@tribunemedia.net

Retailers yesterday revealed sluggish Independence Day sales due to the continuing economic fall-out and uncertainty caused by COVID-19.

Pedro Neely, owner of PC Smart Tees, told Tribune Business this was his first year of operations “but we’re trying to get through and hoping things work out with this whole lockdown. Just persevering through”.

He added: “The independence shirts just started moving on Tuesday, we customise all other events also. So with small businesses we have been trying to help them out in terms of getting branded, but otherwise that is all we have had.

“Golf shirts are not really moving at all, but we are also trying to bring certain things in as well for the customers. We’re having a delay with shipments and the whole lockdown still has things up in the air.”

Addis Huyler, general manager of Bahamas T-shirts and Promotional Items, said: “Things are not moving very well. We didn’t actually order any additional independence items for this year, so we are just selling off our over-stock from last year. It’s been OK; we have just about sold out, but we didn’t have a whole lot. We were really involved with the Independence Day sales this year.”

In an interview conducted last year prior to the Independence Day celebrations, Mr Huyler said: “The response over the past few days has been really amazing. These shirts are beautiful in that the colours are very authentic to the Bahamian flag; we’ve used the exact pantone colours. The quality of the print is absolutely impeccable, the sizing is great and people have really embraced their products.”

A representative of Bahama Tees & Imprints, who wished to remain anonymous, yesterday said Independence Day sales were down on last year. “I had to close down one of my locations, which was in the Mall (Mall at Marathon), but other than that it is just my regular customers who I have been communicating with via What’s App and I have gotten a lot of responses that way.

“I had to close down one of my businesses, so it definitely wouldn’t be the same. People are looking for the Bahamian colours, they are looking for flags. That’s what they are looking for.”