On Christmas eve, while the streets of Georgetown were full of shoppers, vendors were complaining that spending has dropped drastically over the past three years.

Many vendors overstocked their businesses, hoping to make some extra earnings over the Christmas holidays. But in Georgetown, some vendors said the Christmas buzz has fallen flat when it comes to sales.

Dilan Allicock, who has been selling apples, grapes, nuts and biscuits in the city for over 14 years, told News Source that business has been extremely slow, and he believes its the worst in past three years.

“Between last year and this year is the same thing we going through and more harder this year. You’re not getting business. If you have a box of apple, you only getting half box sell for a day,” Allicock told News Source.

He said while many persons may be out shopping, it appears that they can’t afford to make big purchases that in previous years.

“People while they stretch their hands into their pockets to buy things, they say that they can’t afford it, they got to come back. They are saying the price control for these things have gone very high, people can’t afford it like before. If they could have buy $500 apple, they studying when they buy that tomorrow what they eating. Fourteen years we selling out here and we use to find it easy, now it very hard,” Allicock explained.

For Dawn Drayton, who sells household articles along Regent Street, business has not been good for the season, and even slower for the past two days.

“For the season, the whole season, it wasn’t as we expected. I think it is because they people don’t have money. If the Government pay people their salaries, the back pay or things that they really need, money that they suppose to get, it would have been better, at least whatever percentage, it would have been better,” Drayton explained. 

Paul Shiwram echoed similar sentiments, telling News Source it has been slow.

“So far for the season, it little slow, yesterday it pick up and so today we still seeing what going on but the business really slow and nothing ant doing. It has been really tough,” Shiwram said.  

He said sales were much better. He said the high cost of living is taking its toll on people.

“Cost of living is high. Apples and grapes every day things going higher and higher, and then plus we didn’t get we didn’t get we cash grant. If we de get we cash grant, it would have been better but at least thank God for life, we still surviving,” he said.

He said next year, he may have to change the course of his business.

Another vendor, Keisha Jones, said she is simply thankful regardless of the situation.

“Well, we have to give God thanks and praise for whatever lil we get because nothing ain’t going on,” she said.

According to her, citizens were hoping to get the $100,000 cash grant, and now that they have to wait until 2026, there isn’t much to spend.

At the Bourda Market, Carol Gilkes told News Source that business was “okay” but she had seen better days.

“Some say they are waiting on the cash and they didn’t get the cash grant and others musi holding back their money for next year,” she said.

Off camera, many vendors complained that business was extremely slow with many blaming Government for not issuing a second tranche of the $100,000 cash grant.

But cash grant or no cash grant, many said they were all set to celebrate Christmas with their family and friends. News Source also caught up with Shawanna Campbell, who was overflowing with excitement.

“The Christmas treating me real nice, well of course when we collect the penny bank money we start the shopping. I get a couple of things and I am so happy for that. I just get my valance to put up my blinds and I am grateful for that, so, now I am going home back, put on the pepperpot, fix the house, and then bring out the kids them to so some more fine, fine shopping and I wish the whole of Guyana a Merry Merry Christmas,” Campbell said.

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